Matching - jewellery, accessories, make-up etc...

[dk168]

The thread on preparing for a black tie event got me thinking.

How much does one match, in terms of jewellery, accessories (shoes and handbags) and make-up, etc. etc...?

I dislike matching jewellery as I believe it is too safe and lacks imagination and flair.

All my shoes and handbags are black, easy to mix and match. None of them have the same design.

I stopped matching lipstick and nail vanish ages ago (I do not wear open toe shoes, therefore, no need to consider matching toe nails), as I like to wear dark or red lipsticks, and am very fussy when it comes to nail polish in that I dislike smudges and imperfections (hence I do my own), and dark and red colours show up smudges and imperfections easily.

Nowadays I wear nail vanishes that can hide imperfections more easily, such as glitters.

Thanks for Chanel that brought out this very dark red nail vanish many years ago, and kick-started the trend of mis-match lippy and nail vanish (feel free to disagree when and how this trend started, this is my own interpretation based on my own memories).

How about anyone else?

DK

 

[telephone89]

I hate matching. This might be an unpopular opinion, but I always felt like if you had to match, it meant you have no creativity or style of your own (sorry if this is someone reading this!). Being able to mix, match and coordinate puts a better look together, and looks less like you bought a whole matching set at X store.

That being said, I consider myself pretty unstylish, and can be found in jeans most days, sweatpants 99% at home. So, what do I know

 

[Gypsy]

We've been to a lot of formal weddings in the past decade. But no other type of dressy function.

My general feeling is that I don't like to wear black to weddings. So I usually go for a dark purple or a navy blue.

Earrings. I really enjoy big statement earrings and you can get really nice ones on ebay for very little. Many of them take a long time to ship so, that has to be factored in.

My jewelry should coordinate with my dress. Not match it, but coordinate. I used to have a pretty Nadri pave bangle but it broke. I loved that piece. It went with everything .

Shoes are a huge problem with my feet. So I tend to go for metallics so I can wear one pair with everything. And I try to coordinate my shoes and my clutch (again metallics). I really can't wear heels so finding comfortable shoes that are not eyesores is a challenge.

Nails? Meh, I have been biting them down to the quick so I pretend they aren't there. Toes I just wear something in a shade that looks nice with the dress.

 

[azstonie]

Where I come from, matchy-matchy on your person is not good. Its regarded as too-too at best and a sign of bad taste at worst.

Same thing with home furnishings. Too much matching is what you see in institutions and motels

Having said this, I don't look down on anyone who likes matchy-matchy. It saves time for a lot of people; putting disparate things into a cohesive 'look' takes time and skill that a lot of people could care less about.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

Well it's funny because usually I'm a pretty safe dresser for fancy events but I have a tendency to overdress especially after I had lost weight and wanted to wear clothes I couldn't wear before. However, we went to a wedding this past January and I wore a black dress with white polka dots and these shoes that I fell in love with that we're black with a vintage roses print. That was taking a risk for me but I pulled it off! I had actually written a post on here to make sure it wouldn't look too crazy.

In general though I wear the same jewelry all the time, no makeup unless it's a fancy event and I don't paint my nails. A pair of lounge pants and a decent shirt that isn't stained or has holes is my daily wardrobe since I'm home all the time. Definitely more of a risk taker now that I'm older though if I'm going out.

Btw, love dark nail polish especially red and I admire those that can paint their own nails and have them come out good. Not a talent I have unfortunately.

 

[Gypsy]

Azstone, here too, on the matchy matchy. Not so good.

I hate investing money in things that sit on the shelf just waiting for another wedding though. So I invest in neutrals and metallics for my accessories. And then buy a dress if I have to that will work with it all. And I buy a lot of stuff on ebay.

Last wedding we went to was my cousins. My mother and aunts were completely blinged out. Just for fun I totaled up their outfits from shoes and accessories (not including real jewelry). And then I added mine up. I was under 60 bucks including shoes, clutch (thrift shops), dress and jewelry thanks to ebay. I did get really lucky on the dress though. I had seen it at Nordstroms when it was 300. And it was missing a few beads and was on ebay, new for 18 bucks.

My mother was like, "I see you spent some money on your appearance for a change."

I sniggered privately.

 

[momhappy]

I'm not sure what you mean by matching?
My jewelry is all different colors of yellow, white, and rose gold, but sometimes, I might highlight one color more than the others.
I have waaaayyy too many shoes and handbags and heck, yes, I match. But matching doesn't necessarily mean it has to be the same color. For example, if I'm wearing all black, I might throw in a pop of color with my shoes or bags. I have quite a few metallic shoes and bags and I mix and match those depending on the outfit and/or jewelry.
I rarely paint my nails and if I do, I pick a complimentary color (not a matching one). I don't match fingers and toes, but my toes are almost always painted.
I would never match my makeup to my clothes. I wear more neutrals than anything else, but I might add a lip color that again, is complimentary (not exactly matching) to what I'm wearing.

 

[azstonie]

Azstone, here too, on the matchy matchy. Not so good.

I hate investing money in things that sit on the shelf just waiting for another wedding though. So I invest in neutrals and metallics for my accessories. And then buy a dress if I have to that will work with it all. And I buy a lot of stuff on ebay.

Last wedding we went to was my cousins. My mother and aunts were completely blinged out. Just for fun I totaled up their outfits from shoes and accessories (not including real jewelry). And then I added mine up. I was under 60 bucks including shoes, clutch (thrift shops), dress and jewelry thanks to ebay. I did get really lucky on the dress though. I had seen it at Nordstroms when it was 300. And it was missing a few beads and was on ebay, new for 18 bucks.

My mother was like, "I see you spent some money on your appearance for a change."

I sniggered privately.

WORD!!!!

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Haha I"m glad my thread has been fun for folks! I"m such a lost cause.

I sometimes match my colored stone jewelry to complement my outfit. Today I wore a dark purple sweater dress so wore my purple garnet and violet sapphire stackers for example.

But I don't tend to match anything else. Mostly cause I don't wear lipstick or polish or have a purse. And all my shoes are black

 

[azstonie]

You're safe, MTG!!!!

 

[Gypsy]

Azstone, here too, on the matchy matchy. Not so good.

I hate investing money in things that sit on the shelf just waiting for another wedding though. So I invest in neutrals and metallics for my accessories. And then buy a dress if I have to that will work with it all. And I buy a lot of stuff on ebay.

Last wedding we went to was my cousins. My mother and aunts were completely blinged out. Just for fun I totaled up their outfits from shoes and accessories (not including real jewelry). And then I added mine up. I was under 60 bucks including shoes, clutch (thrift shops), dress and jewelry thanks to ebay. I did get really lucky on the dress though. I had seen it at Nordstroms when it was 300. And it was missing a few beads and was on ebay, new for 18 bucks.

My mother was like, "I see you spent some money on your appearance for a change."

I sniggered privately.

WORD!!!!

I sold the dress back on ebay for 40.

So. There's that too. He was the last of my cousins to get married. And unless we end up moving to the East coast, I am not planning on attending any weddings for any more of our nieces, just to send John without me. With "cover your plate" and airfare... flying both of us out for weddings is not feasible.

 

[dk168]

An example of what I meant about matching: a suite/parure of jewellery consisting of different items such as earrings, necklace, bracelet, broach and ring, and wearing them all at the same time.

I would probably buy such a set and wear no more than 2 pieces at the same time.

I would not wear Tahitian pearl necklace with a Tahitian ring; or white South Seas necklace and ring. I would mix and match the pearl colours and/or type.

DK

 

[LLJsmom]

If going to a wedding, I just make sure to wear all diamonds. See? I match!

So I don't really own any colored stones, so I never match jewelry to clothing.

I am figuring out VCA, but I don't have enough to even wear a matching set, even if I wanted to. But if I did, I might actually consider wearing a whole set, earrings and necklace. Prob not bracelet though.

 

[distracts]

Most of the time I never "match." But my theory on matching is get everything in the brightest colors possible and they all match! Nobody is going to say no to a cobalt blue bag, pink pants, an orange shirt, a blue ring, and bright green earrings. It's FUN! Even my suits keep that in mind except for my two "serious" suits - black and grey pinstripe, which only get worn for interviews and things of that nature.

Obviously a lot of my jewelry is bright colors. Clear is boring. My purses are almost always bright colors as well. It has never even occurred to me to match lipstick and nailpolish - once again, my nail polish is bright colors, lol. Most of my shoes are as well though I also have nude, tan, navy, and black shoes for when I'm feeling lazy.

There are some events I will match or demurely mismatch for, like a funeral, some weddings (if I know the families of the couple are more conservative), job interviews, some work events, etc, because I am aware some people consider my attire loud /garish/attention-grabbing and I don't want to look like I'm trying to do that at those events.

I'm always very thankful that a decade or so ago more people started wearing brightly colored and patterned pants, because when I was in HS and the beginning of college I was the only person who did that, and it was really hard to find them to buy and I had a lot of vintage pants for that reason. But now a lot of people do it, and fun pants are easy to find. I have all the colors!

I only change purses if I am going to a black-tie event, where I bring a clutch, or a vacation where I may need to carry a different amount than when at home. Otherwise I carry the same purse for 1-3 years and use it with everything.

The two most memorable compliments I've gotten on my attire are "Wow, you really clash... but I mean that in a nice way" and "You look like you fell out of a JCrew spring/summer catalogue." Because yeah, yes to both of those.

Like these:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/live_object_images/25523/12.jpeg
http://romantiqueandrebel.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/JCrew-Spring-2013-Pictures.jpg
http://65.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lyf2r82Sgx1qcwn0oo1_1280.jpg
but minus the beige and skirts (I only wear skirts under extreme duress - they're just not my thang).

If I am going to match and it's not a funeral or job interview it looks like this: http://cdn10.lbstatic.nu/files/looks/medium/2013/04/10/2961301_Cobalt_Blue-Emerald_Green_JCrew_Cocoon_Coat-s1.jpg?1365622327

 

[737liz]

Gypsy, I am the same with ebay, I will search for a particular dress that I didn't want to pay full price on and become slightly obsessed with finding it.

I tend to match or compliment my rings with my nail (as in green stone, deep red nail, or turquoise ring, coral nail). But just paint my ring fingers and leave the others bare- I have no patience for an entire hand.
I never match anything to my outfit except sometimes my lipstick will be the same tone as my shirt or sweater. so not burgundy lip with a coral or peach sweater .
But my other frivolity fund is fancy underwear, so I tend to match my rings to my undies. I may look frumpy on the outside but at least my fingers and funbags are on point...
Handbags and makeup take a back seat to gems and g-strings; I have to be fiscally responsible!

Can I just say that I really have been enjoying Hangouts and all the topics you girls and guys post. It's been so fun to lurk and learn about all of you ( in a non-creepy way). Thank you for the entertainment everyone.

 

[partgypsy]

I am not a very stylish person. So if I was getting dressed up I probably would be committing the match sin, in that I would be wearing both a turquoise bangle and turquoise earrings for example, and all the colors in similar color family or at least complementing in some way. I like matching the color of my socks with the color of my shirt!

My sister and youngest daughter have natural style, they can take a pile of stuff that looks totally disparate, and put them together in a way that is really stylish. It is an instinct. I especially love the way my youngest layers her clothing.
My youngest has started giving me fashion advice, including wearing leggings with tunics or long sweaters, has pointed out things that to me have more color and are a little more youthful than I would think to wear. She will also take something I haven't worn, and tell me to wear it in a different way than I would think (like a shirt solo, instead of as a layer over a shirt. Who knows, maybe I need to start listening!

 

[azstonie]

distracts, that's a Power Clash, what you describe, and I love a good Power Clash!!!

 

[Siameseroo]

I didn't think I was "matchy matchy" but perhaps I am?? I tend to wear pearl earrings with pearl necklaces. I match pearl type I.e. Tahitians with Tahitians, metallic freshwater with metallic freshwater but pearl size, shape and sometimes colour will be different.

My shoes and bags are either neutrals or black so they tend to match.

I don't match make up or nails. And rings I wear whatever I want. I tend to mix metals.

 

[azstonie]

Siameseroo, you are NOT matchy-matchy but you *are* OCD about the pearls!!!! (Just a little joke there.) You sound well dressed!

 

[Siameseroo]

Siameseroo, you are NOT matchy-matchy but you *are* OCD about the pearls!!!! (Just a little joke there.) You sound well dressed!

LOL thanks azstonie! Yep, I definitely love my pearls! This thread has made me re-think how I accessorise. Perhaps I need some diamond studs too...

 

[motownmama]

I don't think the matching earrings, ring, bracelet, necklace, pin are in anymore. Doesn't mean you can't - why not?!

 

[cmd2014]

I match my earrings to my necklaces, and I do have some matching necklace, earring, cocktail ring sets. They make me feel classic and pulled together. I hadn't realized that someone might look at that as déclassé.

 

[momhappy]

An example of what I meant about matching: a suite/parure of jewellery consisting of different items such as earrings, necklace, bracelet, broach and ring, and wearing them all at the same time.

I would probably buy such a set and wear no more than 2 pieces at the same time.

I would not wear Tahitian pearl necklace with a Tahitian ring; or white South Seas necklace and ring. I would mix and match the pearl colours and/or type.

DK

Ah, gotcha. No. I don't buy (and therefore don't wear) matching sets of jewelry.