How to coordinate outfits without looking matchy-matchy

I love getting blog post ideas or questions from my readers. These are the blog posts that I’m more confident will meet a real need. And I received some requests for a post about how to look put together and coordinated without overdoing it. You know that matchy-matchy look, right?

Well, first let’s understand that, to a degree, matchy-matchy is actually “in” right now. That is, it’s considered quite a trend to wear suits or matching coordinates, even matching joggers and sweatshirts or tops. But, as with most on-trend fashion, it actually takes a little finesse to pull that look off without looking, um, for lack of better words, dorky.

So let’s get into it.

1. Develop an eye for separates that “go together” without necessarily matching.

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This first tip may seem a little lofty, but honestly, there really is no substitute for just being a student of good style. I spend a lot of time looking at outfits coordinated by other bloggers, YouTubers, stylists, and magazine editors. But I don’t just look at them. I study them. I note the following things:

• what clothing separates they combined
• what prints and patterns they used
• what colors they paired or mixed
• what textures they combined
• what styling hacks they used
• what accessories they used, including jewelry, shoes, handbags, belts, scarves, hats, etc.
• what ornamentation they highlighted and how much of it they used in an outfit

I also look for what they didn’t do. Of course, I read and listen, too. But even when there’s no explanation, I truly study a lot of outfits and try to figure out what makes them work so well. And when I see something that doesn’t work, I study that, too. You could do the same.

But mostly the key is simply taking the time to really note what’s going on in an outfit. Either on someone else and use it as inspiration for your next outfit or in your own wardrobe and collection.

2. If possible, try to use separates from a variety of retailers or brands when creating an outfit.

I don’t have this issue myself but I’ve met people who do. For example, combining an outfit with only Vivo items can be quite a challenge for some people. So, maybe trying to combine Vivo tops with LC Waikiki skirts and Mr. P sandals could work perfectly.

Choose coordinates from a variety of brands when possible. Work towards not just combining a variety of brands, but a variety of very different brands. Honestly, that’s a challenge, but it can push you to create more interesting outfits without the matchy-matchy effect.

3. Build a wardrobe of interchangeable separates in a tight color palette.

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I know I must sound like a broken record when I go in this direction, but building a wardrobe that works for you is such a vital key, not only to creating less matchy-matchy outfits but to creating outfits that reflect your personality. When you build an interchangeable wardrobe each piece you purchase will work seamlessly with so many others that are already hanging in your closet. In fact, you’ll be delightfully amazed at how well new pieces work with the older garments you already own.

Part two of that third tip is creating that wardrobe in “a tight color palette.” When you work with a narrowly defined color palette you’ll have a closet full of clothes in just a few neutrals and a few (3-5) signature colors. So you’ll be more prone to have, say, a blue blazer that works with the blue print dress you later bring into your closet. That blue blazer with “go with” most any blue printed dress without looking matchy-matchy. Get the concept?

I can’t tell you how much more effortless and enjoyable it really is to put together outfits from my closet now that I work with a much more defined color palette. Yeah, every once in a while it feels restrictive when I have to remind myself not to order, say, that purple blazer. But later on, I’m always quite happy to have pieces that truly coordinate.

4. Collect accessories, especially leather or faux leather ones, in similar colors and tones.

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I get so frustrated when I go to put a belt on and don’t have one in a shade that works with my shoes. Now your belt and shoes and handbag do not have to match. In fact, that’s the whole reason some of my readers have requested this blog post. They want to know how to wear shoes, belts, and handbags without them being exactly the same. The best advice I can give is simply to say they need to “go together” but not necessarily match.

Try wearing leather shoes, a leather belt, and a leather-trimmed handbag. Probably add a leather wristwatch. They all shouldn’t be the exact same shade of, say… brown, but maybe different tones of brown. And you can trust that indeed the effect will be pleasing. The coordinated leathers definitely lend a more elevated vibe to the outfit.

Without going into all the industry terms and definitions, we can consider the tone of a color or hue generally to be warm or cool. I sometimes have a hard time telling if a brown or camel is cool or warm.

You probably do, too. But if we’ll just ask ourselves if we see hints of orange or yellow (warm tones) in the color or hints of blue or purple (cool tones), we can get close enough to coordinating shoes, belts, and handbags. You can try to repeat each hue somewhere else in your outfit, if possible.

Remember, when it comes to the “science of chic,” what translates to the eye as chic is effort. So I contend that as long as it looks like you’ve taken a little effort to choose your accessories carefully, you absolutely can look chic and pulled together. But don’t overthink this.

Gone are the days when you needed to exactly match your shoes to your belt to your handbag. In fact, looking back at old movies, I’m not sure those days ever existed. I think maybe we just thought they did and we beat ourselves up over nothing.

I’d like to also point out that it really is important to select your accessories carefully, not just buying colors you like, but thoughtfully adding to your wardrobe pieces that work together.

So the bottom line once again goes back to building a wardrobe. If you build into your wardrobe a selection – even if it’s small – of belts, shoes, and handbags in similar tones of various colors, then you’ll be ready to put together a coordinated look that is not matchy-matchy on the fly.

5. Go with at least one “neutral” piece of jewelry in your outfit.

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These days most jewelry brands and retailers produce coordinating jewelry that is not overly matchy. But, big but, if you wear all the pieces in a set of coordinating jewelry it absolutely will look matchy-matchy. And no one needs to hear that more than me.

I’m the kind of girl who, when I find something I like, I want all of it there is to have. But I know that about myself and I do my best to constrain myself. But that doesn’t mean I would never wear multiple pieces of a “set” of jewelry. If I like it, I wear it.

So I think the key when it comes to jewelry is to make sure you have some “neutral” earrings, necklaces, and even bracelets, if you like, that can be worn with the more statement jewelry type pieces.

If you have additional questions about how to wear jewelry so that it’s coordinated but not matchy-matchy, leave them in the comments.

Oh, one more thing. You absolutely can mix metals.

1. If you’re going to wear multiple metals, wear at least two pieces of each.
2. Your wedding band doesn’t count. Don’t worry about trying to match it.
3. Adding a single piece of jewelry that contains multiple metal tones is a great way to anchor the mixture.

Bonus Tip – When you’re concerned that a look is becoming matchy-matchy, opt for a simple separate in a neutralizing color.

One of my biggest tricks for toning down a matchy-matchy look is changing out whatever top I’d originally chosen for a white shirt or basic white tee.

Those neutral classic pieces just have a way of toning down the matchy-matchy factor, sort of like the effect of adding a little salt to a recipe to meld the brighter flavors together. The same concept works with a classic white button-up shirt, a denim jacket, solid black pants, nude pumps, etc. So not only do those pieces add versatility to your wardrobe, they give you a leveling tool to tone down the matchy-matchy effect.

Thanks so much for dropping in today. If you have other concerns about coordinating outfits that I didn’t address here, let me know. Maybe I can add that information at some point or do a part two post.

Have a good one! And let me know if this post answered any questions you’ve had. God bless you.