Take two
The rules of his’n’hers dressing
Theresa May is known for her love of bold accessories – her shoe collection alone has racked up more column inches than predecessor David Cameron’s ever could. But while her husband, Philip, might not share her penchant for leopard print, the pair were pictured doing a spot of his ’n’ hers dressing when both donned brightly coloured Swatch watches on a trip to their local church in Maidenhead on Sunday.
As the austerity argument rages, we should be glad they’re not diamond Rolexes, I suppose. But while much more accessible than the £995 Amanda Wakeley leather trousers that May once came under fire for wearing, they’re certainly worthy of a raised eyebrow. Accidental match, or attempt to show cohesion as a couple and a sense of youthfulness?
Certainly, couples dressing alike is nothing new. It can be difficult – if you have similar taste and shop in the same stores – to avoid wearing the same outfit as your other half, especially come the weekend when the lure of a navy jumper and blue jeans calls to us all.
But while celebrity pairs may choose to coordinate their red carpet outfits for the camera, it’s rarer to find a politician intentionally twinning with their spouse. Just in case the Mays should be reading, here is a guide to the dos and don’ts of dressing to match your partner.
Don’t dress to a theme
Unless it’s October 31, there’s really no excuse for two grown adults channelling “nautical chic” in Breton stripes and boat shoes. Please note that this applies even if you’re on a boat – nothing says I-don’t-know-my-jib-from-my-boom like gold-braid trim on a jacket or, horror of horrors, a captain’s hat on a dinghy.
Do stick to a colour palette
While most of us won’t be greeted by a bank of paparazzi outside the house of a morning, the rule of wearing complementary colours is still a good one to follow if there’s any chance you’ll be photographed, whether at a wedding or friend’s birthday. Shades of the same colour – navy and teal, say, or hues in the same family, like spice-rack colours, will work together quietly, and make for better pictures. But don’t take it too literally – buying a tie to match a dress is a bit naff. Basically, if you’re standing on opposite sides of the room, and people can still tell you’re a couple, then you’ve gone too far.
Don’t wear the same colour
This should be obvious, but wearing the exact same shade as your other half is never a good idea. This one is especially true for same-sex couples: two women in the same shade of green will look like bridesmaids, and two men in the same pink shirt and navy jacket like brothers whose mum still shops for them. (I’m looking at you, Tom Daley and Dustin Lance Black.)
Do follow a dress code
If you’re wearing strappy party sandals and your partner is wearing trainers, that does not a happy match make. I’m not saying you should wear matching Oxfords – please don’t, in fact, as you’ll look like an undergraduate jazz-dance troupe. But you should look as though you’ve dressed for the same event. Men’s dress codes tend to be more prescriptive, so women can take cues from those – if the gents will be in three-piece suits, then that embroidered kaftan is a mistake.
Don’t follow trends
Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake learned this one the hard way. Denim may have been “the thing” in 2001, but the thencouple’s co-ordinated head-to-toe outfits for the American Music Awards have not dated well. Britney’s strapless denim gown and Justin’s Canadian tuxedo look, in retrospect, like they belong to a bizarre rodeo-themed wedding.
Do dress for your surroundings
Believe you me, I never thought I’d be defending the wearer of a Stetson hat, let alone a married couple in Stetsons. But though matching white 10-gallon hats and cowboy boots might not have made for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s most stylish moment, it was at least appropriate, since they donned the get-ups for a visit to Calgary. This isn’t just a thoughtful gesture, but also a wise political one – and besides, they were a gift. Equally, if your host at dinner greets you with a “fun” accessory for the evening, you might just have to grin and wear it – then strike them from your Christmas card list once you’re safely home.
Don’t buy two of everything
Yes, that gilet is very comfortable and warm and doesn’t show up the dog hairs. But do you both need identical ones? In short, no. Especially in the city – popping into Gail’s on Northcote Road for a loaf of walnut rye does not cause sufficient wind-chill for matching down gilets. The same rule can be applied to sportswear: no matching leggings or running jackets or trainers or – God forbid – ski suits. Are you an athletic team in training for the Olympics? No? Then stop it. And while we’re on the subject, don’t dress to match your children, either: you’ll look like the von Trapps, and that is not a compliment.
Do embrace classics
Wellingtons and quilted jackets are ubiquitous in the countryside because they work in the countryside. They are comfortable, practical and not showy. Eschewing the Balmoral uniform just because everyone else was wearing it would be missing the point – the fact that everyone else is wearing it is the point. That way, you can keep the same pair of wellies for 20 years and not worry about falling out of fashion. They’re wellies. They don’t need to be this season’s colour, have a floral lining, or have a jewelled buckle on them – they just need to keep your socks dry.
Don’t ever wear leather
One leather biker jacket can look cool. Two leather biker jackets? At best, you’ll look like soft-core fetishists; at worst, a very small gang of bikers. Victoria and David Beckham still haven’t lived down their matching zip-up leathers and choppy hairdos 18 years on, and Victoria even has her own successful fashion brand. And since everyone’s got a camera on their phone these days, it’s best not to risk it, don’t you think?