Do you match your handbag to your shoes or to your dress?

This week I got an aqua handbag and it’s beautiful, I so love it and I urge you to forgive me if I obsess on the aqua colour for the next 1-month or so as I can’t help it. But I have earned it bearing in mind that I had to put in a whole days worth of work to pay for it!

I don’t know where this saying came from but I do remember hearing that your handbag should match your shoes. I have to admit that it works perfectly in most cases. Picture this, you are bored and don’t feel like dressing up but you have to leave the house for an informal meeting with the gals. So you quickly grab a black pair of jeans and the only shirt that doesn’t need ironing is black. Ideally that would be too much black right? Makes you look like you are mourning.

But we are not done with the look yet, if you put on an aqua pair of shoes and an aqua belt that looks smashing. Or try red, a red belt and red shoes be it flat shoes or stilettos!! Believe me, you will make heads turn.

Now if you go a step further and accessorise just a bit! with the red or aqua, get a red necklace with average beads. That looks nice on anyone regardless of age or size. It’s easy to achieve and it looks great even without the accessories. If you don’t want the red belt you can carry a red handbag. That’s even better so the shoes actually match the handbag. I would go for the red shoes and red handbag but I have seen the red belt and red shoes look a couple of times and its great. The trick about the red belt is you would need to tuck in your shirt or if you own a hip belt you can have it on the un-tucked shirt.

For a wedding ceremony the bridesmaids’ clutch bags should ideally match the shoes to give a feel of coordination and uniformity. However if the clutches match the posies and the dress then a different coloured shoe can work.

But matching shoes and handbags doesn’t always work. And my bet is, that’s the main reason many gals insist on black and brown hobo bags because you can pull it off without any thought. Anything goes with a black hobo, anything!! From wearing sneakers, low heels, stilettos, boots etc.

A briefcase bag, grab bag or clutch bag definitely wouldn’t go with sneakers. A duffel bag and stilettos aren’t perfect partners either and this is debatable but surely clutches and flat shoes aren’t a fashion statement! Satchel bags and totes would be great with sneakers and flat shoes as they are all practical.

Some ladies match the handbag to the dress and then have the liberty to wear a different coloured pair of shoes. I have seen this look many times and I think it’s beautiful. The shoes create a contrast and create the diversion making the look well thought out and elegant.

Having said that I must add a disclaimer and say don’t over match otherwise it will be judged as fashion faux pas and that doesn’t flatter. Simplicity is best and everyone has a style judgement deep down so once you are all dressed up, look yourself in the mirror and your first thought is more often than not the right impression.

If you feel have more than 3 bright colours then perhaps you should neutralise. It wouldn’t be a good idea to for example wear a red dress and red shoes and a red bag unless you are in a movie premier and all cameras are on you. It looks attention seeking as opposed to elegant.

I realised no one can teach me how to match; I have to trust my instincts and get on with it. Your mirror never lies so if you don’t like what you see, neutralise it.