Not So Matchy-Matchy

March 29, 2019

girls with matching outfits

When someone finds that perfect necklace and she’s seeing how it looks on her neck, often times the next question is: “Do you have earrings to match?” Then some even ask for the bracelet next -- the three-piece suit - necklace, earrings, and bracelet.

This is not a simple question ... Here are the earrings with the same design and stone, but here’s what I’d probably recommend wearing with it.

Say what?? Those are not two and the same? Oftentimes no.

The jewelry “set” is an old idea. Maybe you’ve seen the special hinged boxes that “fine” jewelry sets came in -- especially pearls -- with a carve-out for the necklace and holes for the earrings. Must have been everything to open up one of those boxes! As a matter of fact, I’ve even had clients who buy all three with no intention of ever wearing them together, saying, I must have the set -- as if it’s just the right thing to do.

But is that what we want?

I see a rebellion against the idea of wearing matching sets as if it’s unbearably old fashioned. Many modern shoppers will say it straight up - I don’t want to be so “matchy-matchy”, and we all know what she means -- she doesn’t want to look like her grandmother. Guessing she’s got a pair of black shoes and a brown purse on too -- gasp! It is a more modern trend to shake it up.

But to me the trends are irrelevant. I’ve always been more of a coordinator than a matcher. It’s like anything … in order to really focus on a piece of jewelry -- one needs space around it. Oftentimes we have the necklace on and find the earrings that are the exact match are just too much that close to the necklace! With handmade jewelry that is especially the case!

But -- word to the wise -- that shouldn’t stop you from buying the whole set just because you won’t wear it together -- chances are if you like the artist and you like the collection you will like more than one piece in the collection. Buy it when you see it (if you can). I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people regret not purchasing something when they had the chance.