A functional and versatile wardrobe has items that relate to each other. They can be mixed and matched to create outfits that look and feel great. One way to create such a wardrobe is through building and wearing what I call complements.
A complement is a small group of accessories and footwear that match in colour, pattern or vibe, and can be worn together. Adding the items from a complement to an outfit makes it look more cohesive and gives it a punchy finishing touch. I create seasonal colour complements with footwear, bags, scarves, belts and sometimes eyewear.
It’s become second nature for me to shop deliberately as I create and embellish these complements. For example, I recently embellished a cold-weather blush complement. I bought a big pink cashmere scarf at this year’s NAS, which I knew matched the pink Furlas I had at home. Coincidentally, the scarf and bag also match an old cream beanie with pale pink pom-pom. Last week I committed to a pair of pale pink boots which perfectly match the rest of the items, and completes the complement. I can wear two to four items of the complement together, adding it to a slew of outfits. The exact items are shown in the collection.
Over the years, I’ve intentionally built cream, orange, watermelon, navy, chartreuse and citron Winter accessory and footwear complements with trendy classic and smart casual pieces. Some of them include polka dots but for the most part they are solid. I wear these complements over and over again, and year after year until they wear out (or the shoes no longer work for my feet). They don’t look dated, and add a grounding and fun aspect to my Winter looks. Plus, they are very practical, since I walk around in the elements many times a day. I’m thinking of building turquoise, shocking pink and red Winter complements too. But all in good time.
Here’s my very well loved citron and chartreuse complement. Sometimes I wear only two of the items at once, but have the option of wearing all four. I do enjoy items that match.
