They say never to match your shoes to your handbag, but according to some of our favorite designers, matching your handbag to your dress is a styling must. With the matchy-matchy trend [1] already taking over the red carpet, we weren't altogether surprised to see some very well-coordinated ensembles coming down the runway at the Fall 2015 shows in New York, London, Milan, and now Paris. But this season, we're not just talking about pairing a red dress with a red clutch for a monochromatic feel. No, no, no. This time around, it's about exact matches in not just color but fabrication and texture, too.
Chanel was just the latest brand to showcase the look. From Marc Jacobs's fur-and-houndstooth mashup to Burberry's suede fringe set, and from Diane von Furstenberg's rainbow-confetti printed wrap dress and top-handle bag to Victoria Beckham [2]'s navy tweed trench dress and oversize envelope clutch, it seems designers are using every inch of fabric to create perfectly matched head-to-toe looks.
Read on for some runway inspiration and then check out these styling tips [3] so you can try it out for yourself. Plus, we did some preliminary research on eight ready-to-buy matching sets to get you started.
Source: Getty / Neilson Barnard [4]
Chanel Fall 2015
Valentino Fall 2015
Elie Saab Fall 2015
Olympia Le Tan Fall 2015
Carven Fall 2015
H&M Fall 2015
Vionnet Fall 2015
Tod's Fall 2015
Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2015
Roberto Cavalli Fall 2015
Versace Fall 2015
Alberta Ferretti Fall 2015
Burberry Prorsum Fall 2015
Temperley Fall 2015
Simone Rocha Fall 2015
Christopher Kane Fall 2015
Marc Jacobs Fall 2015
Tommy Hilfiger Fall 2015
Alexander Wang Fall 2015
DKNY Fall 2015
Diane von Furstenberg Fall 2015
Victoria Beckham Fall 2015
How to channel this runway vibe yourself? There are two ways to try it. The easiest but often more expensive route is to buy both pieces from the same designer. You can be sure that the quilted Alexander Wang nylon dress will be the exact same as his duffel bags.
If you're ready for a challenge, however, pick a statement dress (or bag), and then go on the hunt for its perfect match with a very keen Google search. Is your frock made of camel suede? Then that's what you should look for in a handbag. Your priority is to pick two-pieces that look cut from the same cloth, literally, so you can't be too picky — you may have to settle for a tote even if your heart was set on a crossbody.
Burgundy Suede
Get the look:
- Dress: H&M Wraparound Suede Dress [5] ($349)
- Handbag: Liebeskind Convertible Tote Bag [6] ($295)
Black-on-White Polka Dots
Get the look:
- Dress: Dolce & Gabbana Ruffled Polka Dot Dress [7] ($1,374)
- Handbag: Dolce & Gabbana Sicily Mini Polka-Dot Leather Bag [8] ($2,145)
Pink-on-Black Polka Dots
Get the look:
- Dress: Red Valentino Polka Dot Dress [9] ($787)
- Handbag: Kate Spade New York Bee Polka Dot Wristlet [10] ($78)
Chambray Denim
Get the look:
- Dress: Vince Collarless Denim Dress [11] ($404)
- Handbag: Opening Ceremony Denim Izzy Backpack [12] ($525)
Embellished Tweed
Get the look:
- Dress: Alice + Olivia Pena Embellished Tweed Dress [13] ($684)
- Handbag: Papa Razzi Shoulder Bag [14] ($105)
Kaleidoscope Print
Get the look:
- Dress: Mara Hoffman Printed Stretch-Modal Jersey Maxi Dress [15] ($240)
- Handbag: Mara Hoffman Weekender Bag [16] ($286)
Quilted Leather
Get the look:
- Dress: Walter by Baker Jeffrey Quilted Leather Dress [17] ($598)
- Handbag: Calvin Klein Quilted Luxe Lamb Crossbody [18] ($158)
Leopard Print
Get the look:
- Dress: ChicNova Sleeveless Waist Leopard Dress [19] ($7)
- Handbag: Diane von Furstenberg Mini Crossbody [20] ($298)