Lisa p, I don't wear belts either! I keep thinking I ought to add one for the rare occasion when I tuck a shirt, but I find them uncomfortable and fussy. Your colour preferences sound very similar to mine.
Angie -- yes, you are the queen of colour-mixing and have a much higher tolerance for brights than I do! But, I do like high-contrast and have a high tolerance for black. I always have to remind myself to shop for the brightly coloured items that will add contrast, since I'm not often drawn to them on their own, even though I know I will love them within the context of an outfit.
Barbara Diane -- going grey does seem to complicate people's palettes; I'm hoping there's still lots of pewter accessories around when I'm fully grey. Navy is a good idea too.
Anchie, it's a bit of a balancing act, isn't it? Not wanting to go overboard with matching combos, but wanting items that feel harmonious together...
Cardiff girl, yes part of the reason I'm thinking about this is cost and bang-for-buck. If I add another bag, do I want it to match my shoes, contrast with my coat, go with as many items as possible? I don't think matchiness is my number one priority, but I don't mind when it happens.
Christina, nice to hear from a bag person! I think a lot more about my shoe colour than my bag colour, only because I don't really shop for bags at all. The tote I use most days was a gift and happens to be a great colour (turquoise), and my crossbody (which I chose myself) is black. I'd love to have a large tote in a neutral and a small crossbody in a bright -- those plus what I have would feel like a balanced collection.
Smittie, it is complicated!! I know exactly what you mean. Colour matching is just one piece of the puzzle; it's also a matter of texture, sheen, pattern (oh hey -- colour, pattern, texture, shine!). I have to think more closely about this; I tend to reject/accept certain elements intuitively (I don't own any suede, for example, just don't like it; same goes for reptile leathers). I do know that I have a high tolerance for bold contrast, but a lower tolerance for tonal combos (I'm more likely to do red/black than red/burgundy).
Cee - LOL! I can barely get my two socks to match, tbh.
Style Fan -- I LOVE the puzzle bag. Beautiful shape and many gorgeous colourways, but yes, I'm happy to dream of owning one in another lifetime. And yeah, my shoe choices are pretty limited too. That hasn't stopped me from ending up with some pretty funky colours though!
Janet, a cobalt backpack makes *perfect* sense for your wardrobe -- bright and unexpected, but totally you.
kkards -- my husband does the shoe/belt thing. He absolutely will not mix black and brown, so he has brown belt to go with brown shoes and black belt to go with black shoes. He doesn't carry a bag, thank goodness!
Bijou -- this is my ideal approach. I like bag as a pop of colour because it's easy to take off and isn't "attached" the way shoes, jewelry, etc are. I think I read on someone's travel blog years ago that French women tend to do lots of black plus a lighter bag; I must have internalized that guideline...
Efbgen, it's so funny to me that some people are anti-matchy. I guess perhaps being too matchy could look like you're trying too hard? Perhaps in a bright colour it would bother me, but not with neutrals.
Joy, yes, a pewter bag sounds like a smart addition -- goes with everything, subtle shine. I like the idea of scarf tie-ins, but hoping not to add too many more scarves to my life. Oddly, I tend to choose scarves in very limited colours -- various shades of blue, for example -- rather than true multi-colours.
Suz -- YES. The words dynamism and cohesion -- also harmony -- resonate with me. Much more so than matchy. I think I have a lower tolerance for warm metals than you do. I can only think of a couple colours where I'll tolerate the look of gold or brass hardware (olive, tan, warm browns, and except for olive those are not major players in my wardrobe anyway) -- otherwise I absolutely want silver, nickel, pewter, or black hardware. I'm pretty non-negotiable on that!
Carol, I know what you mean about black and brown not going together. I've pretty much phased brown out of my wardrobe because it's not a happy colour for me, and black is. That said, I do enjoy navy-black combos, which used to be a big no-no, I gather.