Who needs a matching man?
One thing I definitely won’t be doing this autumn is dressing like my other half, as some sort of nauseainducing ‘love language’. I can’t think of anything more hideous or cringe-making than leaving the house to go to an event colour coordinated with my husband.
If this ever does happen – by some freakish accident – I always insist that one of us changes before we step outside the front door. Yet, bafflingly, this is not how many of the most stylish young women of our age feel. They’re devoting much time and effort to looking like some sort of matching Barbie and Ken tribute act with their partners. I thought we’d moved on from the act of wrapping up our identities in our relationships.
Clothes are a great way of expressing our characters, tastes and, crucially, our individuality. And they say a heck of a lot about what’s going on inside. But ever since their romance began in 2021, Kaia Gerber, daughter of 90s supermodel Cindy Crawford, and her handsome actor boyfriend Austin Butler, have been on a matchy-matchy fashion adventure. Whether sporting casual sweats and Adidas trainers after a workout or making glamorous appearances on the red carpet, the gorgeous lovebirds consistently mirror each other’s look. So on a date night in Paris, Butler wore a pair of trousers in the same chocolate brown as Gerber’s dress – no easy feat as that tone is hard to find! They even have matching baseball caps and paint-splattered jeans.
Justin and Hailey Bieber are fellow offenders, as are Brooklyn Beckham and his wife Nicola Peltz. Thankfully, Brooklyn’s parents Victoria and David seem to have left this habit behind them.
For this isn’t a new phenomenon – remember when Brad Pitt used to morph into every woman he had a relationship with? Intriguingly, couples who dress together rarely stay together. These days Pitt is photographed alone at events. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, who never left the house uncoordinated, are over. Taylor Swift and her matching accessory Tom Hiddleston? Long gone. And clone couple Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez? Finished too.
Surely strong, independent people don’t need to dress like their other halves. The chic combinations
I will be leaving the house solo in this autumn are waistcoat plus trousers: a pairing as stylish as it is timeless. What’s more, you can wear each piece separately (the vest with denim, the trousers with a light knit) to get more bang for your buck.
Another great September look is a straight pencil skirt – just add a cropped tank or shirt. Simple sandals and a logo-less bag keep the focus on an elegant silhouette.