I know I started this post off with a question, but really, I’ve already made up my mind. Matching shoes and bags are a big YES in my book.
I’ve been so into ’em. Especially lately, as I’ve been exploring some new color palettes, like this one from last week.
When I’m trying to balance color in an outfit, matching accessories bring the whole thing together and make it look like a look. It’s like bookends for the outfit.
Here’s the thing though: I think it works best with casual outfits and well-worn pieces. I also think it works best with neutral accessories.
So to keep things simple, I’m sticking with accessories in warm cognac, black, or deep brown — the holy trinity of neutrals.
This is what it looks like for me:
Cognac: boots (similar), bag / Black: boots, bag (similar) / Brown: boots, bag
So, this whole matching-shoes-and-bags thing begs the question:
How often do you switch purses?
It would get really tiresome to switch with every outfit. So I don’t.
If I’m just running to the grocery or something, I go with whatever bag is already in use. If I’m super busy and just need to get stuff done, same story, I don’t stress about it.
Remember back when matching accessories was treated as a rule, and it was a faux pas if everything didn’t match? I’m not into it like that. No need to treat it as a rule.
Instead, I only switch bags when it feels fun. Like when I’m playing around, creating a look for a low key date night or to hang out with friends.
So I probably end up changing bags once or twice a week. That may sound like a lot, and maybe it is. But, I keep a tidy purse and I only have five things in it — my wallet, phone, sunnies, keys, and toiletry bag — so it’s not a big deal to switch right now.
Now, I’m curious to hear your opinion on this. Matching accessories: Yes or no? Would you stick with just bags and shoes or would you expand to other accessories? Would you stick to neutrals or try colors? Let me know in the comments.
See you tomorrow!
xo,
Liked today’s outfit? You can shop it and support Unfancy at the same time by using these affiliate links:
01 | Turtleneck (old by Madewell) | similar ($90) | similar ($60) | similar ($40 + additional 40% off)
02 | Jeans by Madewell (on sale) | similar (made responsibly)
03 | Ankle booties (old by Sam Edelman) | similar | similar (made responsibly) | similar ($40)
04 | Bag gifted by ONA | similar with zip top (made responsibly) | similar with open top (made responsibly)
Most of the time, I carry a large black tote bag. For a more formal occasion, I have a black clutch on a strap. All of my shoes are black. That’s it. :)
Sounds good to me, Carol! :)
I was about to comment the same thing! I have two black bags in different sizes and all my shoes are black. I switch bags depending on what I have to carry with me: school = bigger bag // going out = small bag :)
I once knew a beautiful young lady who worked for a Saudi Arabian princess. ‘Know what? She always wore black step-ins with EVERYTHING she wore! ?
She always looked elegant and never gauche. Some people can just get away with it. ?
Caroline! – a definite yes! And if you treat yourself to red pumps and a red clutch, this becomes a perfect casual holiday outfit. Seriously, red shoes and a small red bag changed my holiday game (I’ve owned them for at least 7-8 years). They make my usually neutral palette feel festive. And the matching makes me feel pulled together and deliberate.
You look great. So nice to see you doing so well!
Xx
Heather
Heather, I love your red shoes/bag for a holiday touch! What a great idea! Caroline, this is my first time to comment, but I’m a faithful reader and former West Texan. Enjoy those stunner sunsets while you can :)
Sounds fab, Heather! Happy Holiday dressing! :)
Red – great idea! I do the same but with sparkly gold sandals/shoes and a gold clutch.
I have a question, I am wearing an all black suit for an corporate party, I plan on wearing red patent leather pumps with a red envelope clutch bag.y only concern is the clutch and heels are not exactly the same shade of red. My heels are a tad darker, should I be consider just wearing black heels and a
Black bag??
Hey Kristin, you can never go wrong with all black — however, if you want that fun pop of color, I don’t think it will be a big deal if they are slightly different shades of red. Just enjoy the party! :)
My inner organizer absolutely loves the matched look, but the realist has a hard time with it. Some of my favorite bags/totes are in different colors, like red or olive green and I don’t own boots in those colors, plus it’s not that easy to find them. So, I end up wearing the neutral boots and coat/jacket and treat the bag as the pop of color.
Marta, I think that totally works too, especially for more fun colored bags. :)
My favorite bag is a pink photo bag from Decadent – and so far I have not found shoes to match the bag so I use for bag with almost everything. :-D
For photo see e.g.: http://emilysalomon.dk/2014/08/24/pink-plisse/
Love your bag ?. I was wondering what toiletry bag you use in your purse? I’ve seen a few lil pouches on FashionABLE that I’ve liked…just been debating about size and if it would be helpful in keeping more organized.
Hey Jessica, it’s actually a little bag I sewed myself, just to keep my goodies together. :)
I’m old, so I am old school. I have to admit, I don’t carry much, like you wallet, keys, phone and lipstick. Awhile back, I bought a Brahmin bag that was black and cognac. Love it, and unless I am travelling and need a larger bag, it is my go to all the time bag. It is a small satchel and I can add a strap for a cross body. Very versatile. It also dresses well with a suit. Black shoes or cognac, it is a keeper. Kathi
Thanks for sharing Kathi! I love hearing what works for Un-fancy readers. :)
A bicolor bag is a very smart idea.
Personally I like it really when shoes are matching with the bag and not only therefore I like your look!
xx from Bavaria/Germany, Rena
http://www.dressedwithsoul.com
I err towards not matching by design. I have a gray tote from Whipping Post that shows the tan shade of the leather on the inside so I feel like it covers the black and brown world well. It’s such a perfect bag that I have a hard time putting it away.
Jenn, those bags are so lovely, I can hardly blame you! :)
I’m pretty boring when it comes to my purses; I basically never switch it up! I have the cognac Cuyana tote that is simply AMAZING and I get compliments on it all the time. I am able to fit anything and everything in there which is super important since I take public transit to work. I just don’t like the hassle of switching bags. The only time I might change up my purse is if I’m “going out” for a night on the town with friends. If I know I’m going to be in a crowded bar and probably dancing I grab a small crossbody and only put the necessities in it.
I love the look of cognac and black together so I don’t stress out about switching up my bag in order to match my other accessories (:
Thanks for sharing Kelsey! You can’t go wrong with a beautiful leather commuter tote. :)
you know, come to think of it, it’s funny…I have an instinctive aversion to matching them — as in, I’ll go out of my way to make sure they don’t! (same color family can be ok, as long as it’s not too close a shade; similar texture is fine sometimes; but exact same color and exact same texture bugs me no end. Not on other people! just on me. I’m just super-conscious of it.)
Now, when I was a kid, it was the opposite — everything had to be matchy. But now, the total opposite… and I can’t remember when that happened. huh.
Agreed! Personally I also go out of my way to ‘un-match’ my bag and shoes unless my whole outfit is 100% monochrome. Although my clothes are generally pretty neutral I have a couple of smaller bags in brighter colours like sky blue or kelly green that I reach for again and again
Hi, there! For me, it was a big wardrobe-revelation to make a habit of matching purse and shoes, and for the most part belt as well. I use almost only tan/cognac, and I own two purses and belts to go with all my shoes. Tan/cognac picks up tones from my hair as well, so it always feels right from top to toe:)
I used to ALWAYS match. Always. Shoes, belt and bag. But I personally find myself loving a look the most when my shoes and bag don’t match, but instead use more tonal variation — like a cream sweater, medium wash distressed denim, cognac booties and a chocolate brown bag. I like when a look has layers of the same tones because I think it adds depth and warmth to a look. I also like the matched look, but sometimes it can feel little too matchy-matchy for me (which leaves me feeling a little stuffy) if that makes sense… I think you give some great examples so I definitely feel inspired to try it out more! :)
I don’t have to match my shoes with my purse. My shoes are brown, grey, and black. I have a purse in each of those colors. My everyday fall/winter is a royal purple. My spring/summer is a blue grey. I only bother to switch them if I’m going out with friends or on a date with hubby.
Oooh, good discussion! I like the idea of matching shoes & bag, and I like how it looks. But I’m getting more realistic about what works for me and my real life (not my fantasy life).
For me, a bag is something like a trusty sidekick. I feel like I have a relationship with it. I want it beside me, always. I want it carefully packed & organized. Swapping bags is an agonizing chore which involves over-analyzing every item & then fretting that I’ll regret my choices.
I’ve tried being a free spirit who throws a lipstick & phone into a clutch and goes, but I don’t do that very well. Much better to recognize myself for who I am and work around it.
So, these days, I’m going with a neutral, low-key bag for everything. My life is very casual / rural and there are few times I actually NEED to change bags. I’ve recently fallen in love with the Abera Tote by FashionABLE, but it’s wrapped and under the tree until Christmas.
Ooooh, even I’M excited for your Christmas present! They make such great bags. :) Thanks for sharing what works for you (and not your fantasy life!)
Love the look! And I love how the colors are tied together. I personally don’t match my bag and shoes anymore. I used to switch constantly. But, since I stopped carrying a diaper bag, I rarely carried a purse at all — until I misplaced my wallet. That was an expensive mistake. So now I carry a small flat cognac cross-body bag that I hardly know is there, and it doesn’t match the majority of my shoes. It also turns into a clutch for date night and a fanny pack for work, so I’ve been using it exclusively since I got it. It’s a multi tasker and I love the freedom and simplicity of that.
I think matching shoes and bags are especially a good way of keeping things simple, when the rest of your outfit is already quite busy. But if your outfit is alreay quite simple, for example a black dress with black shoes, a different colour of bag is perfect without overdoing things. One of my other points of concern is when wearing a leather jacket: combining this with a leather bag might be too much, so there has to be some contrast, whether it is the colour or the material or both…
I agree about leather jackets. They are trickier to style with leather accessories. I switch to an inconspicuous canvas clutch or a canvas crossbody messenger bag when wearing my cognac leather jacket–to keep things casual and not so “leathery”.
Eliene, great point! Thanks for sharing. :)
I wear a suede leather bag with leather jacket :)
I guess to me it really depends on the outfit, but since I love black most of my shoes and bags match, so it’s kinda hard for me to answer this question, like I said, it depends :)
It think matching a pair of shoes and a bag that are neutrals works and it looks polished, but I am totally fine with not matching as well. I am currently on the hunt for a black crossbody or medium sized bag so at the moment I cannot make my black shoes to bag.
Overall, I think it depends on the look you are going for. Matching a bag and shoes that are neutral can tie a look together. It is also fun to have a pop of colour in either a bag or a pair of shoes. However, I am not ready to match throw a matching belt in the mix,
I probably don’t really match but most things I wear are in toning colours eg greys, navy/blues, berry shades so I use that to pull an outfit together. I think, though I probably do wear matching black boots and bag.
I think, for me, it depends on the occasion. I do tend to match my bag and shoes when I want to look really put together. If I’m free flowing, then I don’t care so much. I have some great cheetah booties, and I’ll use any bag with those. I LOVE mixing brown bags/shoes with black attire. That’s my favorite right now. For special occasions, I have black heels and a gold and black clutch.
Sounds cute, Sabrina. :)
Yes to matching shoes and bags – especially with casual clothes. Next question – what about a belt? No belt?
Love your blog Caroline!
Anne
Hey Anne, I don’t really ever wear belts! I suppose I would match the leathers if I did though — to tie it all together. :)
Absolutely yes! Love the look.
Abigail Alice x
I love to match, and can be OCD. But am trying not to be :)
i don’t really worry about matching, mostly because i only really have 3 bags – one pretty small tan one that i only use when i just need a couple things, my everyday medium-sized cognanc leather bag, and then my black/grey zip tote for when i am carrying my laptop. they’re all neutrals, so in my mind, they go with pretty much anything. i choose the bag based on the purpose. i wouldn’t mind having a black purse, though, since my only black/grey bag is more of a tote.
I wear supportive shoes and care more for foot comfort than whether they match my bag. I only have a black and a brown cloth bag and use them pretty much all the time. My supportive shoes are somewhat colorful and athletic so they don’t match.
Yes!! And I just realized that I have 2 sets of matching bags and boots, ha! ;) Now I need to get a third bag (cognac) to match my most used pair of flats and the watch that does not leave my wrist. Thanks for helping me put 2 and 2 together! :)
Mary, Sounds like you’re almost there! I bet you’ll love having the cognac bag, it’s such a great accessory color! :)
When I’m putting together an outfit, it’s usually for work. And I don’t carry my purse around the office all day, so I don’t really consider it part of my outfit. As long as everything coordinates, I’m good. And not using a purse as an accessory during the day does challenge me to use more statement necklaces/scarves/layers to add interest to my outfit. For example, I’d throw on a big gold pendant of some kind with Caroline’s outfit above.
What do you keep in your toiletry bag? What items make the cut? I’m always struggling with this. Thank you! :)
Hey Amy, I keep some Thieves oil hand sanitizer, a few meds like Advil and Gin Gins, Burt’s Bees lip balm, Jane Iredale lip gloss, mints, and a tampon or two. :)
Um, No. I never think about matching my shoes and my purse/bag. I carry a medium-sized crossbody for everyday, and only switch it out about 1-2x/year. I have a few small purses and clutches for nice occasions like weddings, but even then, I don’t try to match; I just choose the one that best complements my outfit. I don’t really dress in all neutrals either. I love colors; I love prints. I’m like that eccentric old lady but I’m not old yet. Ha!
I love this post! I currently have two totes in rotation that I’ve used for the last few years. I only really switch them for the seasons. My olive green one is for spring/summer and my navy one is for fall/winter – all because I have an emerald winter coat and the green on green weirds me out.
But, I’ve got my fingers crossed for a reversible black/cognac tote for Christmas! My navy tote is definitely on its last season, so the black/cognac one would be great to match to my black and cognac shoes, and I could use it all year ’round.
Bridget, the tote sounds like it’d be the perfect addition. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you too! :)
I usually try to have two neutral things that match in colour and texture — e.g. I match my belt to my shoes or bag if my shoes don’t match my bag. It’s not always conscious and I’m sure I don’t always do it. I have more than one bag in a colour (light pink, cobalt blue) and wearing matching shoes would definitely be overkill for those (to me).
Technically it could extend to neutral clothing, but I find that less effective because the textures are so different. The clothing would have to be faux-leather leggings or a leather jacket or something.
I used to be all about matching my bags with my shoes – but recently discovered that I love the mismatched look. Neutral are so easy to play with so I generally stick with them. Like grays and blacks or even camel!
Sincerely, Tania
Caroline! I LOVE this post. I’ve always wondered about your accessories, especially your bags, because I. Have. A. Bag. Problem.
I think I have 9 now. I love them. I’m not sure why.
Most are from Madewell, however, I have one from Lo & Sons that I just got (The Pearl – it’s amazing) and your same crossbody from LiveFashionable (also love!). I have a couple of tiny crossbodies for occasions from J.Crew and Everlane, and a clutch from Nisolo (one of my favorites). I’m really considering downsizing though, because I know what you mean about the hassle of changing from bag to bag.
Because I have so many, I’ve grown accustomed to not caring whether or not they match my shoes. I honestly just pick whichever I’m feelin’ that day. I only wear neutrals anyways, so I don’t think it would really be a big deal if they didn’t match exactly. I think some of the most perfect outfits are the ones that don’t look so put together, if you know what I mean :) But I absolutely love your color schemes – if that’s what’s work for you, great! Whatever you feel comfortable with is ALWAYS what you should do (but if you’re up to it, try out mismatching, it’s fun too!
I wish I had enough flexibility to coordinate my bag with my outfits, but my bags really do need to be utilitarian (and waterproof) because I live in Portland.
I have exactly two “purses”, one nice Coach purse and one casual shoulder bag that I don’t care about getting dirty.
In my everyday life I need to take my workout clothes with me when I leave for work so I am normally taking my Aerostich shoulder bag or my Mountain Hardwear Outdry pack. Both are cute, but don’t coordinate with any outfits.
(I have this one in pink) http://www.aerostich.com/bags/shoulder-bags-backpacks-and-hip-packs/messenger-bags/aerostich-parcel-bag.html
(I have last years in maroon) http://www.mountainhardwear.com/scrambler-30-outdry-backpack-1586171.html?cgid=equipment-packs-climbingSport&dwvar_1586171_variationColor=011#start=0
Amelia, sounds like it works well though! Thanks for sharing. :)
Yes totally. Simple way of making me feel ‘put together’. I do have some coloured bags and shoes that I mix with a neutral that’s in the outfit for balance. So I have a black dress with a print, my shoes might pick out a colour from the print and my bag will be black. To make it easy to swap bags I have a small make up purse full of all sorts of ‘stuff’ that I switch between hand bags. If I have that, my phone, keys and purse I know I’ve got what I need to deal with all eventualities!
Matching shoes and bags when they both have neutral colors is indeed not problematic in my opinion, it works, it looks effortless and doesn’t look “artificial”. However, matching accessories with a color or print that stands out more, such as red, or even blue etc, to me doesn’t work. It is of course a matter of personal opinion and in the end, everyone has to feel comfortable in what they’re wearing, but matching in a too obvious way doesn’t look very subtle to me, and actually a little outdated. But great ideas with the shoes and bags suggested in the post, they work nicely together!
Yes. I totally agree with everyone. One simple step make an outfit look carefully planned and put together. Interesting to hear what you keep in your bag as a rarely change and have a far less tidy bag! What toiletries do you carry around in your handbag?
Thanks for sharing :)
Hey Stef, I keep some Thieves oil hand sanitizer, a few meds like Advil and Gin Gins, Burt’s Bees lip balm, Jane Iredale lip gloss, mints, and a tampon or two. :)
When the world was young (and so was I), I used to match shoes, belt and bag. As the world aged (and me along with it), I became more practical…..and/or lazy, lol!…..and stopped the switching out of the purses two and three times a week madness. Life became much simpler and less stressful. Need to leave the house? Grab the purse on the hook by the door and hit the road! I also went to a much, much smaller shoulder bag. I carry my bifold wallet, a small brush, keys, a small tape measure, a small pack of Kleenex, a pen, a slim Jim and my phone……and whatever lipstick I’m wearing that day.
I do, however, match the belt to the shoes depending on the outfit. Example; jeans, white button up shirt with brown boots needs a brown belt. But if it’s an all black outfit with black shoes, I may sport a red or army green belt.
Actually, the only three hard and fast rules I have are don’t wear tight tops and bottoms at the same time, don’t wear white to a wedding and don’t wear black leather to a funeral (unless the deceased is a leather wearing, biker dude). Lol!
Haha! Excellent tips, Kim. Thank you for sharing your “rules”. :)
Matching is always a yes in my book. I think a matching congac belt would look great too! As for switching bags, I agree, just do it when you feel like it. When I switch, I always end up forgetting things or leaving my favorite lipgloss in the wrong bag. So, I will never match. Nevertheless, I think it’s a great look!
Hi Caroline. Nope, I never match. My current purse is that dreamy burgundy/red/pink fossil affair, and I don’t have any shoes to match that. I do have some pretty leopard print flats and some peach flats it looks pretty good with, though! As far as accessories go, lots and lots of colour and pattern is all the go at my place. It’s my clothes that are more neutral. I find neutral stripes in my clothing choice help balance all the colour and pattern. Having said that, I am really enjoying your aesthetic and learning lots too! A colleague recommended your blog to me and I have been following religiously for the last few months. I’m loving your increased posts! Thanks!
Thanks for sharing and for following along, Rebecca! :)
I couldn’t possibly match my bag to my shoes. Too many shoes and only a few bags in rotation every season. My absolute favorite bag is my silver TopShop backpack. It’s a subtle silver and surprisingly goes with almost everything. Not a chrome shiny silver. But my only pair of silver shoes are my super shiny silver loafers from J. Crew.
I would just be inviting more reasons to spend money into my life if I matched my shoes to my bag.
But if I find myself reaching for my Guess high tops a lot in a week I will grab my black BCBG bag. So maybe I’m in between. I probably change bags every other week.
I actually love cognac purse with my black booties with wood coloured heel.
I have also been looking at totes that have cognac and black for the best of both worlds! No switching needed!
That would be a great addition, Linda! I love that combo in a nice leather. :)
I really only switch handbags when practicality calls for it. I have a small selection of lovely bags and their all different… a mini backpack, a crossbody, a doctor’s style. Whichever one will beat hold everything is the one I go for.
They are all what I like to call neutrals though – black, metallic, animal print – so they go with everything in my wardrobe. Makes things so much easier!
But if they match my shoes it’s completely accidental. :)
I take a similar approach in terms of swapping bags over. I love matching cognac shoes to bag the most!! I do not have a black leather bag – a bit of a gap.
Something for your Christmas list, Sally! :)
I NEVER switch. And I have never even thought about matching my shoes and bag, lol. I gulove as it seems to fancy and my style is super cas. I have one purse and one diaper bag (the purse is just for special occasions these days. but I still just usually bring my diaper bag instead because it actually is just a cute normal backpack I put diapers in so why switch?). Also I really like just having one pair of shoes that I almost always wear. In the summer it’s my yellow Madrid Birkenstocks, in the winter it’s sneakers since I don’t have snow where I live. It’s where I go hardest core as far as minimal dressing is concerned and it just works so good for me.
Hey Whitney, thanks for sharing what works for you! :)
For a creatively challenged people like me, matching makes it so less arduous… and I can hear my mom breath a sign of relief, which is just such a super big plus to this…
Oh yes, absolutely! Or as close as possible. I have a ton of great purses, but mostly neutral shoes, especially in this season, so if I want to use a bold bag, I pick a shoe that coordinates, although these days with three kids (7, 5, and 3), I tend to rotate between a cognac bucket bag and a black and white bag for ease and storage size unless I’m going out with friends or something. I must say thought that I’ve come along way- I used to think that cognac brown and black couldn’t go together (because I couldn’t wrap my very rigid matchy mind around black and brown together), but thankfully I amended that a few years back, good thing because my wardrobe this season mainly consists of jeans, a black and white striped top and cognac boots and bag. So cute.
Sounds really cute, Olivia. I’m glad you let go of that “rule” too! I love those colors together. (Obviously!) :)
I usually like to switch up my bags depending on what I’m wearing though not necessarily to match my shoes (sometimes I like to experiment and play around with colours) although most of the time that’s the case. But same as you, I don’t keep a lot of things in my purse so switching bags are easy peasy (also keeps me going through my stuff and getting rid of the things I don’t need!).
That’s definitely a perk of switching bags, Victoria. Cleaning out receipts and gum wrappers or whatever else ends up in there. ;)
Hi Caroline!
I am a YES when it comes to combine the bags with the shoes and sometimes with the belts.
What I would really like to see from you is a post with you jeans collection.
I think we all need to have a pair that fits us from each type of jeans and your collection would be a big inspiration both to style our wardrobe and also minimize it with the type of jeans is best for each of us.
Also I am hoping for a brown bag for Christmas as i mostly have black ones and yours is a very nice inspiration to make myself a present this year :)
Thank you for sharing your ideas with us!
Greetings from Romania!
Andreea
Hi Andreea! Hope you get everything on your Christmas list! :)
I don’t have many bags, so I’m sure they match sometimes, but not really with any intention. I have a black clutch and a rose gold metallic clutch for times when clutches are used, and a small black cross-body for pretty much the rest of the time. I have a canvas snakeskin and brown trim bucket bag for when I need to hold a few things in the summer, and could probably use a similar bag in something more suitable for winter weather – maybe a holiday gift to myself! My favorite thing recently has been ditching my wallet. I just use a money clip for cash and cards. Now that its cold, I’ve just been throwing it in my coat pocket when doing errands and walking around on weekends. Not having a bag is completely liberating. It might be the one thing that makes me jealous of men.
Hey Gabby, that does sound nice. Just be careful not to lose that money clip! ;)
This post made me think how I’d love to see a post from you about “what’s in my purse.” I know you keep it minimal, but I think it’d be fun to see a more specific breakdown of how you’ve decided what to keep in there and how you organize your toiletry bag. Just a thought! (If you already did something like this and I missed it, please let me know.)
Hey Sara, I haven’t shared a specific breakdown of my purse, but that’s an idea I’ll add to my list. In my toiletry bag, I just keep Thieves oil hand sanitizer, a few meds like Advil and GinGins, Burt’s Bees lip balm, Jane Iredale lip gloss, mints, and a couple tampons. :)
I am a busy mom on the go, so I don’t switch bags much. I have started to go with a “Color” neutral. I have a tomato red Coach bag for fall winter, and a off white bag for spring/summer. These colors go with whatever shoes I am wearing – for the most part. I have a smaller beige handbag for when I don’t feel like carrying a big purse.
I’m a classic dresser, so I also prefer to match bag and shoes – unless either is a ‘fun’ color, structure or pattern, than I combine with a neutral. I can’t bother to switch my work bag more than twice a year though (got an ss and an fw one). But for going out, even just to my mom or the bakers, I switch to a smaller purse. I use a purse organiser and this makes switching my essentials so much easier and less stressfull (I’m kind of neurotic about headingnout without lip balm or tissues etc ;)).
Both of my purses are black, so it doesn’t matter too much there! I just make sure that whether it’s a purse or a bag, I check for phone-keys-wallet before I head out the door.
Casey, keeping it simple. I love it. :)
oooh! purses ARE MY FAV!!!! when I read what you wrote about switching bags once or twice a week might be a lot I laughed cause I change my several times a week most weeks! I love love handbags and actually think its fun to switch them out. even if its the same color just a different style. hehe! oh and rarely worry too much about matchy matchy. ;)
oh p.s. you should do a what’s in my purse post! that’d be fun! :)
Love the matching purse and boots here (actually, I’d be sort of interested to see what a brown belt would add to the outfit too, since the high waist seems to be a focal point)! i don’t always match the two but sometimes do.
Ironically, I switch bags pretty easily. During the week, it is my messenger back to work, but on weekends or outings the essentials all fit quickly into a clutch, but I try to keep thing pretty pared down. Only diabetic supplies (since I’m diabetic…); wallet and phone. I keep a slim notebook and pen in the two main clutches I used all the time, so everything you need it there and it can all be dumped back into the messenger back for work the next day, lol.
Hi Carolin,
I think matching bag + shoes (+ belt) is the easiest way to make an outfit look put together. It’s so much more complicated to make your outfit look like an actual outfit (not just randomly picked pieces), when these things don’t match. So unlike you, I do it the other way round: When I don’t have the time, I match my shoes and bag. When I have the time to plan my outfit, I pick something more interesting.
I’m a fan of colored purses AND neutral purses. When I am using a colored purse, I use it as a statement and sometimes I just rock the color clash. I have beautiful solid teal and solid cardinal red cross bodies and a cognac and black.
I don’t match them but I do like to switch them out every week. The only time I change one out is if a smaller or larger size is necessary.
I’m not a big matchy matchy person but would rather play with different colours and textures! :)
This is why my closet and shoes and bags are mostly neutral. And why black is my dominant color. So I don’t have to think too much about looking put together. Sometimes I don’t have time to switch around the bags (my everyday bag is either a black or a brown cross body and occasionally a beige tote). Those days my key to looking put together is to match the shoes with something else in my outfit – bottom, top or scarf. I have two small clutches – a red and a pink one. I carry those to parties, dates. In those cases I treat like a pop of color and will match with my lipstick or a scarf or statement jewelry. The rest of my party outfit is neutral.
I tend to be non-matchy and switch rarely but that’s mainly because I have small kids so I usually have my one “mom bag” and only switch if I get to go out without them. I am not sure what I think in the grand scheme because I love your neutral matches but I also like the perspective on “modern ” matching here : http://dresslikeaparisian.com/when-is-matchy-too-matchy/
If possible, maybe I match, but my everyday bag is a Longchamp tote, mostly because I was trying to reduce my closet and see if I could really just use one bag. Plus, since I live in London, don’t own a car, and walk/tube/bus everywhere, it needed to also fit a small umbrella. It needed to zip. It needed to get bashed about (the tube at rush hour is a dangerous business!). So I really only have the one bag I use everyday, it’s dark grey/black with brown leather handles. It doesn’t really match my shoes (which change from trainers to boots now that it’s cold and wet).
In my pre-London life, I did change bags based on my shoes or a outfit or a whim. Even though I lived in Seattle (still cool and wet), I at least had a car so I wasn’t out in the elements every time I went somewhere.
So good
http://www.ustradeent.com
Good boots and shoes. Thanks for your ideas <3