In a tale of questionable authenticity, Anna Wintour coldly deemed a woman ‘matchy-matchy’ when she appeared in her office wearing a supremely coordinated outfit. I started thinking about this when I rocked up to the library the other day to find that I was wearing exactly the same basic grey tank as my best friend. Same brand and everything. Now, I don’t really care about that kind of thing, and it was barely noticeable since it was a basic. But then I was studying at a local cafe today (I’m such a party girl) and I realised that my pale pink blazer, laptop, and glomesh purse were all exactly the same colour. A little scary.
So, how matchy is too matchy?
It’s a difficult question, because it seems you’re damned if you do, and damned if you don’t. Harajuku girls often match each other and personally, I love it. Plus I’ve noticed that guys love this kind of thing – it seems to tap into that whole ‘twin fetish’ thing that I will never understand. I think it’s pretty rare to be able to pull this off if you’re not a Harajuku girl. That said, I really like the idea of matching with your friends and I’ve occasionally tried to convince my friends to do this, only to be brutally rebuffed. You would need to make sure that you matched completely, because if it looks accidental the impact is lost, and depending on where you’re going, that could be embarrassing. But if you think you can do it, knock yourself out (and call me if you need someone to do it with!).
As for matching clothes and accessories in an individual outfit, my only strict policy would be to NEVER wear all one colour, unless it’s black. Even if it’s different shades, you look obsessive. There are a couple of exceptions, like awesome, ironic onesies and the occasional power suit. But even then, you should try to break it up with shoes and accessories of different shades.
Other than that, denim-on-denim is rarely a good idea, nor is matching animal prints (we’ve all seen a woman clad entirely in leopard print during our lives and it’s not a pretty sight).
Charlotte York: “Imagine being blind and not being able to see a beautiful day like today. Can you think of anything worse?”
Anthony Marentino: “Stonewashed jeans and a matching jacket.”
- From Sex and the City episode ‘Let There Be Light’
