Why Head-to-Toe Can Be a No-No

Hi, fashionistas!

It's Samantha here, bringing you my first full blog post! I've been supervising things behind the scenes all along, so I'm excited to be writing my first complete post, and I'm thrilled to have this blog also posted over at Slow Southern Style. I'm most excited, though, to be writing about how much fun it can be to mix and match colors in your wardrobe. 

The inspiration behind this post comes from my every day experience in the store. So often women come into the store agonizing over finding the perfectly colored  brown/silver/green/pink/whatever shoe/handbag/jewelry/whatever to match a specific outfit. A head-to-toe one-color look is usually not nearly as fun or interesting as a dynamic look that has variety, but is still cohesive. Plus, it is almost impossible to find the exact same color in every accessory you want to wear. You will end up looking like you tried to match, but failed (like Judy in the photo below, bless her heart).

Judy in head-to-toe yellow, photo courtesy of tomosaito.com

For easy mixing and matching of colors, remember these tips:

• Metallics complement anything. They are the easiest way to avoid feeling like your accessories need to match exactly.
• Silver looks especially great with blues and greens.
• Mix rich jewel toned fabrics with gray accessories, or vice versa.
•  Pair solid colored pieces with solid colored pieces in complementary colors. (Mrs. Obama is a fan of this...more on her soon!)
• Look closely at your patterned pieces. You can accessorize with any color in the pattern, and usually any color that complements any color in the pattern.

Our very own First Lady, Mrs. Michelle Obama is a mix-and-match expert. Let's take a look at some of my favorite Mrs. O looks:

Courtesy of mymodernmet.com

On the cover of O Magazine, looking darling in her red dress and yellow cardigan. How cute would this outfit be with some royal blue shoes? A primary color love affair!

Courtesy of putmoneyinyouridaho.blogspot.com

 On the Today Show, Mrs. O sported and black and white polka dot dress with a coral belt and yellow shoes. Most people would have let the belt or shoes be the only pop  of color, and I love that she wore them BOTH. It takes the outfit from good to great.

Courtesy of huffingtonpost.com

 And how could we forget Mrs. O's inauguration outfit? She looks stunning in her yellow dress and the teal shoes are the icing on the cake.

Another combination that women fear is wearing black and brown together. Black and brown complement one another, and wearing them together is easier than you think. To ease yourself into this, find pieces that contain both colors, whether it is a patterned top with black and brown, or an accessory with both colors, like the black and brown boots below. The best part about them is you don't have to buy a black pair and a brown pair! Who doesn't love saving a little money?

Nicole Dreamer-Women's Cowboy Boots

Lane Cowboy Boots Margaret

You don't have to have a piece that contains both colors to wear black and brown together, though. Just last week I wore a pair of brown boots with jeans, a black and white sweater, and a tan cardigan. I know I looked chic and sleek...don't be afraid, ladies! You'll look so good!

One last thing I want to point out is the versatility of a good dress shoe in a pewter-y color, like the Nina Faviola here on the right. Now, Nina calls the color "Malinda", which I'm pretty sure is code for "life saver". The shoe has an almost iridescent quality, and when you hold it up to ANY other color, it reflects bits of it and just kind of melts into the perfect complement. Seriously, you will be able to wear this with your cocktail and evening dresses of every color from black and brown to pink and blue and anything in between. Every woman should have a shoe in this color in her closet. It's the perfect go-to.



(By the way, I know the monochromatic look has made its way to the runways as of late. I support this chic trend, but this post is simply letting you know that it is not a necessity! If you want to pursue the monochromatic look, keep the fabrics rich and mix and match different materials. Have fun with it, but avoid the Nicki-Minaj-head-to-toe-leopard look!)

Courtesy of stylebistro.com

So, ladies, how about we give it a try? There's no need to get yourself all worked up when you can't find something to perfectly match your dress/bag/shoes when you can look so much more fierce without matching!

Happy Shopping! xo