How naff matching two-pieces became chic
WHen is a dress not a dress? The answer is when it’s a ‘co-ord’.
Yes, that’s right, another addition to the fashion lexicon. If you haven’t come across a co-ord yet, it is essentially a co-ordinated outfit — a matching top and bottom. And whatever you might have thought you knew about ‘matchy-matchy’ dressing as a byword for gauche, geeky and stylistically inept . . . well, flip it.
Matching tops and bottoms were once the stuff of dress-up dolls, hilarious Seventies knitting patterns and Crimplene pantsuits worn by the Partridge Family, but have now officially been dubbed ‘chic’.
Which is no doubt why Victoria Beckham wore an unapologetically matchy full plaid skirt and shirt from her pre-fall collection recently.
For a cute plaid co-ord on the High Street, snap up Warehouse’s fantastic checked funnel neck jumper and skirt (both £46, warehouse.co.uk).
In truth, the matchy-matchy reinvention has been bubbling for a few seasons now.
Designer Miuccia Prada, who loves to play with ideas hovering on the cusp between good and bad taste, set the mood last spring with graphic Bauhaus-print lounge suits, some trimmed with feathered cuffs (a look that’s been much copied on the High Street).
And, of course, the whole luxe pyjama daywear trend has been in the air since Marc Jacobs sent models down the catwalk in haute sleepwear for Louis Vuitton in 2013.
BUT in real life, however, wearing a full-on matching ensemble takes a bit of getting used to.
I bought a Zara tropical print pyjama suit at the start of the year that stayed in my cupboard for a good few weeks until I worked up the confidence to go public with it. I’ve since worn it into the ground, paired with either a simple Tshirt or a frilly dress shirt.
For night, just add sky-high velvet platforms and extravagant hoop earrings for a confidence-boosting party ensemble. Perfect for nights when you don’t feel like wearing a dress. Try Topshop’s brilliant chevron contrast stitch trouser co-ord in green slinky satin (jacket, £55, and trousers, £60, topshop.com). So why has co-ord dressing struck such a chord? I have a theory it has a lot to do with styling choices of celebrities who live to be photographed.
After all, a head-to-toe look makes a strong statement if you want to be picked out by street-style paparazzi.
Granted, it’s not exactly a consideration for me as I confront my wardrobe on Monday to figure out my office outfits. But that’s the other thing about co-ord dressing — it’s surprisingly practical. A matching set can streamline your morning routine (no worries about marrying a singleton bottom with a top that might be who-knows-where in the laundry cycle.) A co-ord sticks together and works together, and in our modern, hyperaccelerated, multi-tasking lifestyles (when any spare mental energy might be best reserved for prising your offspring off Fortnite), that’s often what you need.
When shopping, just remember you’re not looking for an Angela Merkel sensible trouser suit. To get the modern co-ord look right, seek out fluid, sensual fabrics — a top and a bottom that drape and skim the body more like a dress or a jumpsuit than a tailored suit.
Try Uterque’s elegant red checked two-piece (top, £79, and skirt, £89, uterque.com).
If you buy your top and bottom separately, you may get a better fit than you would with a one-piece, too.
Just don’t be tempted to match your shoes and bag. A contrasting bolt of colour with a cross-body bag or a sculptural-heeled shoe will break up your silhouette and stop you blending into the wallpaper.
And a word of warning — if you’re going out with your significant other, make sure you’re not outfit twinning before you leave the house. There’s still such a thing as too matchy.
Sarah Bailey is executive brand editor at Porter.