Matching By Mistake

Years ago when we were small, our mom made Hilary and me a few matching outfits.  They were for special occasions, Christmas or Easter, and were often the same cut and pattern.  I don't recall any aversion to these until I was about nine or so and then I wanted nothing less than to be dressed exactly like Hilary (sorry, Hilary, I was an a**hole).  As an adult I've found it often elevates an outfit to match the one you're with.

Claire: Boden dress and Clark sandals (similar here).  Hilary: Vince Camuto dress (similar here),  Kate Spade cardigan, and Zara shoes 

Last weekend I was with my family for Luisa's baptism, and to my delight, Hilary and I matched! Or coordinated.  It was a pleasant, unplanned surprise that resulted in aesthetically pleasing photos.  Hilary wore a navy and pink Vince Camuto dress with Zara flats, while I wore a navy and pink Boden dress, Clark sandals, and an old J. Crew Factory necklace.  

I found this dress in February and pounced when it went on sale.  The shoes and necklace were both purchased over two years ago.

I've recently become a fan of Boden dresses for their structured, yet feminine look.  Even though I bought this particular dress on sale, it was still more than I wanted to spend, so I recycled shoes and accessories to complete the look.

I love scoop back dresses.

My favorite feature of this dress is the scoop back.  It shows a little bit of skin while still being work and church appropriate.  Do you also see the ribbon hanging off the zipper?  That is a G-d send!  It makes zipping yourself up so much easier.  Why haven't more clothing companies thought of it?

Hilary in a TJ Maxx find and borrowed sweater

Hilary is the queen of finding good deals (she once paid $4 for jeans) and this dress was no different.  She found it at TJ Maxx a few days before the baptism and bought it for the German wedding season (she's so cosmopolitan!).  My heart skipped a beat when she pulled it off the rack because I knew it would go perfectly with the dress I'd chosen to wear.  To my delight, she wore it!

I didn't tell her we'd match if she wore it, but I was secretively hoping she would.

Hilary, like me, sets a budget on her wardrobe and so she paired it with a pair of shoes from last season and borrowed a cardigan from our mom.  

Even our shoes match!

I don't think we could have looked better if we planned it!  Hilary is coming to visit this weekend and I'm looking forward to coordinating again (*hint* pack more navy *hint*).