WORDS BY HEATHER GWYTHER

Outfit-planning is supposed to be fun. But, like all things that are supposed to be fun – dating, interior design, dinner parties and group outings – it can also be stressful. With so many things to choose from and so many things that could go wrong, it’s a wonder that we even manage to put on clothes at all sometimes. Yet, we do – with aplomb! Still, if you want a break from deciding what to wear, there is a solution: a matching set.

Matching sets make life easier. When you’re dealing with a wardrobe resplendent in nice things, clothing combinations can feel endless. Even when you’ve committed to wearing trousers rather than jeans, for example, you still have to decide which trousers. That decision also rests on – or can influence – which top. Then, meteorological considerations come into play, like whether or not you need a jumper, a light trench, a bomber jacket?! And don’t get us started on accessorising. While matching sets can’t help with the latter issues, they do lay out an entire outfit before your eyes, which leaves you with more time to tackle them. 

The additional bonus of a matching set is you have the added benefit of two separate pieces of clothing that don’t know each other from Adam. And that’s true versatility. Anyway, from full-blown suits to breezy holiday looks, here are some of our favourite matching sets from the new season. 

No one modernises 80s-inspired power dressing quite like Emma Rowen Rose, and nowhere is this more evident than in her suits. Swap the trousers for the mini skirt if you want even more attention. 

Soft power soars to new sartorial heights with this Sandra Mansour set, but it’s more than just an ode to girlishness. We love how unexpected the buttons are, for example. And no one messes with a woman wearing shoulder pads – even if they are hidden beneath baby pink on full blast. 

You may not be used to combining cut-outs with tweed, but George Keburia is here to let you know that, not only is it an acceptable thing to do, it’s also an excellent thing to do. Better still is to pair the cut-out mini dress with the matching cropped jacket, then you’ll look severely excellent. 

Well, no one can accuse you of playing it sartorially safe if you leave the house in this. Wear a polo neck beneath the jacket (and tights) if you want to tone it down ever so slightly, but here at KOIBIRD we’re all for extremes. 

Is true neutrality ever possible? Honestly, we don’t know, but this Anouki set suggests it might be. Pair with heaps of jewellery for instant elevation and wear the bodysuit with your favourite pair of vintage jeans for some casual refreshment. 

Imagine being on a yacht in some far-flung location wearing this, which is so comfortable that it might as well be a pair of pyjamas. Well, maybe it is! You make the rules. 

Whether because of the lace detailing or floral print, this is a matching set for feeling very romantic in (even if your current situation is nothing of the sort).

Matching sets don’t always have to be obviously matching sets. Take this Rosie Assoulin number – half-sisters, not twins!

Backless, balloon-sleeved and with bow detailing, since beholding this Agua by Agua Bendita set, we now have b-words on the brain – like beautiful!

We like to refer to this Adriana Degreas top as our formal bra and, worn with the coordinating trousers, it’s what we wear to network as the sun goes down by the beach.