By Bhavna Narang (Guest Blogger)

It was another visit to an upscale mall in Ahmedabad. I carried a beige full-length skirt in my bag, assuring myself that this time I would definitely get a matching top. It had been a couple of weeks since I had been hunting down for a specific shade of crop top to make a perfect ensemble. After another two hours I gave up my search and drove back home.
Quite often we tend to devote a substantial amount of time, money and effort in coordinating our clothes and accessories. While we have to be careful with the selection, there is no written rule-book for style. Style is innovation. Making an impact is all about being carefully different. I eventually dug into my closet and pulled out a couple of tops that did not really ‘match’ the skirt as per the current trend, yet made a great combination.

It’s not always necessary to procure the most exclusive stuff to look different. To look different you can also play with the stuff in your present wardrobe. Break free from commonly used color combinations. Break free from the well known concept of ‘matching’. It’s not necessary that your shoes must match your dress or handbag. It’s not necessary that your top and skirt/trousers must have complementing colors.

To try this, pull out contrasting elements from your closet and arrange different combinations. Choose what soothes your eyes and that you can carry off with confidence. The only rule to be followed here is- Be stylishly experimental.

Don’t overdo: While colors add spunk, overuse of colors can make you look gaudy. If you’re using a bold color combination in your outfit, keep your accessories neutral and simple. Single colored dresses can be combined with single color contrasting accessories. While in case of monochromes, add an edge with multi- colored accessories.

Playing with prints:  Contrasting combinations look best with plain fabric and finer prints. However, if you’re wearing bold prints, you must pick a color from the print itself that is least used and match the rest of your ensemble with it to get a mild contrast effect. Try avoiding combination of prints. They will only make your ensemble over-crowded.

So next time you go around hunting for ‘matching’ stuff, first look into your closet. Not only will it save you a great amount of resources, the end result could be outstanding!