Matchy Matchy

Look at any wedding party picture and you're sure to find one common theme amongst all of them; bridesmaids who are all sporting identical colored dresses with perfectly dyed to match shoes. A wedding party is the only time in most women's lives they will don such a matchy matchy ensemble.  However, it wasn't that long ago that women wore much more matchy-matchy outfits than we seem to like today. Must your shoes and purse always match? I can imagine that if you asked that question a few decades ago you would have received a collective yes from women everywhere. If you presented that very same question to my generation though you would most likely get a mixed bag of responses. It seems that women just don't match their clothes the same way anymore. In the 60s most wouldn't have taken a second look at a woman wearing a perfectly pink skirt suit with a matching hat, shoes, and bag. Now, such an ensemble would likely get you noticed, and potentially come across as a bit costumey.

So, why have a suddenly developed an interest in matching clothing and accessories? Well, it goes back to the post I did a few weeks ago on fabric scraps. I have been thinking about making headbands and bows to clip on my shoes from my fabric scraps.You see, I am the kind of person who would leave the house wearing a dress, a matching headband, bows on my shoes, and if I were going to school that day, a pencil case that matched the outfit. I love the matchy matchy look. If given the opportunity to leave the house decked to the nines in a head to toe one colored outfit I would do it in a heartbeat.I don't always know when I have too much of a good thing.

Being able to sew does give me the opportunity to wear outfits that go far beyond the realm of the typical coordinating clothing. I guess the question is whether or not I should exercise my ability to create all sorts of matching accessories. (Yes, the idea of a perfectly matched bag has indeed crossed my mind, but I have been able to suppress that idea for the time being.) I think that if I do make the accessories I should limit myself to one same fabric item at a time. I could wear a matching headband or bows on my shoes but never both at the same time. This doesn't mean that I don't want to leave the house over-accessorized, but I am attempting to exhibit some sort of good taste when it comes to dressing. What do you all think? Is a matching bow for my hair a slippery slope to looking like a perpetual bridesmaid? If matchy matchy is okay, what is the dividing line between tasteful and overdone? I'd love to hear some thoughts and opinions.


In sewing related news, I am almost finished with a Cynthia Rowley pattern and should hopefully have some pics of it tomorrow.