A pair of non-neutral shoes with matching bag made my must haves list for Spring and Summer 2017 because we haven’t seen non-neutral shoes make a fashion statement in a while. They look so fresh at the moment. I was in the mood for red shoes a few months ago and promptly added a pair of bright red loafers to my Spring and Summer footwear capsule. Coincidentally, they match a chain-strap crossbody bag I bought in Amsterdam a few years ago. The new loafers and bag also match a new floral scarf that I bought at J.Crew. Here are the items in a collection.
It can feel a little jarring to wear a pair of non-neutral shoes in an outfit, especially when they make a bold statement. That’s why pairing them with a bag or/and a scarf that picks up the colour of the shoes is an effective styling strategy. The repetition of the colour pulls the outfit together to create a cohesive whole. Pairing my red loafers with either the matching bag or scarf creates sufficient outfit harmony for me, although sometimes I combine all three items just for fun.
Remember to create a “shoe-bag-scarf” complement when you’re having trouble incorporating bright footwear into an outfit. Or choose either a bag or a scarf to pair with the shoes. Of course, you can absolutely throw a pair of non-neutral shoes into an outfit without repeating the colour elsewhere in your look if you don’t find it jarring. But if your bright shoes are orphaned, creating a complement for them will probably do the trick.
