Not that long ago, the matchy matchy style combinations were considered passé, they seemed outdated and just too perfect. Fashion always seems to be trying to escape this perfection, and strives to be simpler, more casual, wearable, and most of all it doesn’t wish to define a woman’s age with the accessories or anything else she chooses to wear. But now the old manners are making a comeback, so we can play around with matching our shoes with a bag again without being criticised for looking “like grandma”. Suits are back too, especially brocade or velvet ones, and the more unusual the colour, the better. Here are some suggestions for styling shoes and bags correctly.
They don’t have to be from the same line
There are only a few exceptions here, for instance, if you chose to wear red shoes with a red bag, it’s probably best to buy them together, because the shades of red can be quite different, and it’s not that hard to go wrong. Since red is a strong colour, any mistake is that much more noticeable. But for the rest of the colours, you can buy your shoes here and the bag elsewhere, just take one or the other with you when you go shopping, so you have the exact colour in front of you.
Something with patterns, something in colour block
This is a foolproof solution: animal print shoes and bag in one of the colours of the animal print. It’s pretty much the same for geometrical and other patterns. This way the bag and shoes will still seem like a set, but not outdated or too flawless.
Perfect set
Same bag and shoes are perfect for when you’re wearing lots of different colours or patterns and everything else needs to stay rather neutral. Or, if you go the other way around, wear a little black dress or something really simple and have the shoes and bag as accessories that bring some kick to the outfit. If this is the case, opt for matchy animal prints, florals, glitter, anything goes, because the accessories will attract all the attention.
If you love classics, don’t match
Mostly, because you’ll just end up looking boring; there is always a small risk that the shoes and bag will age you. I think not enough women realise this, so they go all out with the dress, but seem to forget about the accessories. If you opt for a classic suit, try to play around with the accessories, go bravely for colours, patterns, heels and everything interesting and out of the box.
If you’re all about jeans and a shirt, don’t match
This goes for monochromatic matching, meaning a black bag with black shoes. It’s just a drag, so try to break it up a bit by accessorising, give it a different twist, something daring, and maybe even sexy.
Be ready for exceptions
There are always exceptions to the rules, and that’s ok. We sometimes find the most gorgeous shoes, and the bag to go with them that we just adore, and it’s ok to buy them both. But that doesn’t mean you have to wear them together, you can mix and match, and simply adjust it to your existing wardrobe.
The magic of brown with black
These are the two shades that are timeless in the summer as well as winter, so it’s perfectly fine to opt for same colour shoes and bag, because you’ll be wearing them separately as well. Brown and black are two basic colours you can’t go wrong with, and they’re sophisticated enough so that you can never have too many accessories of each. All the better, if they’re made of good quality leather, because it’s worth spending a few extra bucks for a seasonless piece that you’ll wear for years to come.
5 thoughts on “Shoes and bag: how to combine them correctly”
The magic of brown with black and red with pink!
Perfect!
Such a nice peace! How gorgeous and useful to read this…
Thank you for posting this!
I love animal prints and like to combine shoes and bags!