Your handbag should match your shoe?

Craig Twist
Fashion Correspondent

They always say you can have anything you want if you dress for it!

Well, the above statement somehow tends to be true because imagine attending a conference dressed on point, obviously heads will roll and you get all the attention.

If you are a fashion-lover like myself, you have no doubt that you are either motivated by at least one aim away message, from Instagram bio, or gallery wall piece referencing a quote by Coco Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld or some other fashion great.

Great fashion quotes are almost as iconic as the designers themselves and the clothes they make.

Then there is the issue of trendy items.

Last week, social media was on fire with how the controversial Passion Java’s fashion sense had become.

He wore the popular Gucci-Ken Scott print wool mohair flare attire, which cost US$2 100.

Some sectors thought it was more feminen, while Java defended himself saying it was the trend.

Ok, it seems the attire is not for everyone, anyway.

Java wore the attire with a matching men bag, not sure if it was a ladies handbag, but it too matched his outfit from top to bottom.

I had an argument with my co-worker after we discussed the attire — should your handbag match your shoes or not?

Every time I look at a ladies outfit, I can’t help but look at the shoes and the handbag before I look at everything else.

I know I am not the only one who makes shoe contact before eye contact, it just comes natural to me and whenever I am in doubt about a person’s outfit, it’s the shoes that will help me come up with the final verdict.

Being in the fashion world and as a fashion consultant, my clients expect me to have an opinion on everything about style and I always give my honest opinion.

From the ladies, half the times I get asked this question, “Is your handbag supposed to match your shoes?” and I always say No!

The French style guru Madame Genevieve Antoine in her book said, “an elegant bag is a practical accessory so important that merits a very thoughtful selection, and even a generous share of your clothes budget from time to time.”

I strongly agree, I would say your shoes and your handbag alike because they draw most of the attention.

I must admit that I always match my shoes with my briefcases, but obviously men do not have much colour ways or varieties around shoes and briefcases so in my case its always black shoes and a black briefcase or shades of brown shoes with a brown messenger bag.

It has to be made clear that people are on different spectrum when it comes to fashion and style, so I have to tread carefully on this subject.

Social media, especially Tiktok and Instagram, has been trying to revitalise this old tradition of matching your shoes with the handbag and most fashion brands and exclusive labels have been pairing their shoes, especially trainers, with the handbags in shop windows, influencers and adverts.

So, how do you pair the shoes and the handbag?

The answer is, they have to match, but not be too “matchy” like same colours, same prints/patterns, same everything, no, but they have to be coordinated.

Hypothetically speaking, lets say you are wearing some brown and black animal print heels, you do not have to wear the same print purse or bag, but rather you can have your heels with a plain brown or black handbag.

You have to choose where you want most attention, however, both your shoe and bag should not be loud and competing, but rather complimenting each other.

If the heels have very distinct colours or patterns then your bag has to compliment the look in a subtle way.

I always say less is more, your clothes should not be conflicting or competing for space.  If the bag is big then the shoes better not be bright to outdo the whole outfit.

For trainers, they go well with slightly bigger clutch bag or satchels/racksacks.

Sneakers are usually worn when you are going to have a busy day running up and down, maybe doing some grocery shopping or less formal errands which wont permit a clutch bag, but rather a satchel which you can put on your bag easily and go about with your business.

The size of the bag has to be proportionate to your body, there is nothing elegant about a petite woman carrying a massive satchel or handbag and a chubby chic clutching a tiny little bag.

Please bear in mind that the smaller the bag the dressier it becomes and the opposite is true.