by Bianca Esposito

In Defense of Matchy-Matchy:
Collecting Vintage Accessories in Sets

Fear the dreaded moniker of “matchy-matchy”, oh victim to fashion. Reject any ensemble overly coordinated – can’t be going around still following all of those old-fashioned rules. Match your handbag to your shoes? Match your shoes to your belt? How passé, too like how my grandmother used to wear her… Wait? Did you say old fashioned? Well now, that’s just what we’re after! 

Looking through vintage images from the 1940s and ‘50s, from high fashion editorials to Montgomery Ward catalog pages, a trend begins to emerge. Indeed, matching accessory sets were so common that they were often available to purchase in one go from those very same catalogues. 

The more matching accessories there are in any given ensemble, the more formal and traditional the overall resulting effect. Just like bridesmaid’s shoes were once dyed to match the dress, a perfect echo denotes a certain air of formality. Of course, if, when, and how you choose to mix in other hues or contrasting tones sets your personal style apart as yours and yours alone, but having the full set available to work with is what makes the puzzle fun instead of daunting. 

For a truly balanced ensemble, draw the eye along the body. Imagine any outfit has a top (hat/make-up/neckline), a middle (gloves, belt, handbag), and a bottom (shoes) that offer you many styling opportunities, including that for harmony. All accessories in the same shade help the eye to travel in a pleasing way. Every accent in a different color can certainly offer an eclectic air, but the eye travels fast – oh that red hat! Look at those yellow heels! Sometimes this bouncing around is desired, and sometimes you want the instant elegance and easy flow full coordination can allow. Naturally, the more complete accessory sets you assemble, the more you can experiment further, mixing or matching them to your heart’s content with ease. 

But What Constitutes a Full Set?

Let’s start at the top with a hat (straw, wool, silk, what suits your season or environment best?), a scarf (again, silk or wool?), gloves, a belt, a handbag or clutch, and shoes all in the same shade would comprise a full working selection. Having jewelry in each color is an additional bonus. Begin with each in black, perhaps, to be practical – though I personally tend to favor red to match my lipstick – or perhaps all in white for a classic crisp freshness. 

After all, we’re not simply shopping for vintage, we are collecting, and who wouldn’t want a full volume set? Solid color dresses and suits look different each time with a new hue of accessory, and prints, too, equally pretty when a single color is pulled from the many as a harmonious accent. Perhaps try a simple two or three color print (say a black, white, and yellow floral) with a set of accessories in a completely contrasting shade (red!). More than one accessory in the same color always looks intentional; it looks styled, it looks like you took your time. Some prefer to avoid this effect of course, but when you want to look put together… it helps to have pieces available which fit firmly as one. 

Where to Begin

How does one start mixing once mastering matching? The eye learns from study, so examine vintage images and absorb the styling suggestions on offer. When browsing for 1940’s sewing patterns, say, note the accessories they have shown on the illustrations as well. Lost in the depths of Pinterest, notice not just an exquisite dress, but what shade of hat, belt, and shoes it was styled with too. If you possess a set of each black and white accessories perhaps, you could break them up differently by wearing the white gloves and shoes with the black hat and belt, and then swap the next time for a completely new look with the very same dress. 

Further down this same rabbit hole, perhaps? How about matching not only the color but also the finish of your accessories? If you have black patent leather shoes, you may consider finding a patent finish belt and handbag as well. Or perhaps suede is more your speed, or leather embossed to look like snakeskin. Matching finishes, as well as hues, is a whole additional level of sartorial pedantry you may argue, but it can certainly lend an editorial look. Why not look like you’ve stepped off a catwalk if it is an option, no? 

Another thing to keep in mind may be collecting for multiple seasons. Sure, you may have a full set of black accessories, but if your hat and handbag are woven straw and better suited to summer, for a truly completed set consider perhaps adding a wool hat and a leather handbag as well. Then there is of course formality to consider, as some accessories are simply more casual than others. Try a silk or beaded clutch for evening, for example, plush black velvet, or even a sparkling sequined hat. 

The first few basics are all one really needs to start creating coordinated ensembles, though I’m afraid after over a decade of collecting, I, personally, may have now reached the end of building sets and have entered the realm of simply organizing a pantheon instead. Happy hunting! 

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