MIX&MATCH SERIES.THE PURSUIT OF HARMONY
This is the first article in our new Mix&Match series.
Mix&Match is perhaps one of the ultimate expressions of sartorial culture, a subtle exercise in observation, discernment, and taste. Like many worthwhile pursuits, it is neither immediate nor easy. The learning curve can be long, even for those naturally gifted with an eye for beauty. Yet, as with many things that require patience and effort, the reward is all the greater. The path is rarely straightforward. It involves experimentation, mistakes, adjustments, and discoveries.
But then, when has the pursuit of beauty ever been an easy journey?
Consider, for a moment, the relative simplicity of a suit or a coordinated twin set. Much of the work has already been done for you. The colour, texture, tailoring, style, and pattern have been conceived as a coherent whole. Three quarters of the silhouette already speak the same language. What remains is the delicate task of selecting the accessories: a watch, a piece of jewellery, a scarf, a tie, stockings or socks, a bag, and shoes.
Difficult enough in itself.
Now imagine taking the Mix&Match route, which is a serious notch higher endeavor.
The art consists of combining separate garments and creating harmony where none previously existed. In French, this is known as the costume dépareillé, an intriguing expression because dépareillé can also carry the negative meaning of being mismatched. Perhaps this ambiguity is a reminder of how difficult the exercise truly is. Personally, I prefer the Italian expression abito spezzato, which feels more neutral and perhaps more elegant. Instead of purchasing a complete suit, one selects a blazer and a separate pair of trousers or a skirt. Suddenly, everything must be orchestrated from the beginning. Colours, textures, materials, proportions, tailoring, patterns, and styles must enter into conversation with one another.
And then comes the art of accessorizing, yet another story…
Yet it is precisely this complexity that makes the result so satisfying.
And the beauty of it is, that it doesn’t only apply to the sartorial high end, but to all people, one has only to think about the Harajuku crowd which brought Mix&Match to a whole other level !
Difficulty? Satisfaction?
An image comes to mind. Imagine the joy of reaching a mountain summit after a long ascent shared with a few friends. Compare that feeling to arriving at the same destination after a ten-minute helicopter flight.
Or think of a slow meal among good companions, where conversation flows effortlessly and every sense is engaged, compared with a hurried fast food meal that merely satisfies hunger.
Perhaps happiness follows an inverted curve. The easier and more immediate the reward, the more fleeting the satisfaction. The greater the effort, the deeper the pleasure. Repeated instant gratification rarely compensates for the fulfillment that comes from achieving something difficult.
In many ways, Mix&Match follows the same logic.
Like architecture, like travel, like Art Deco itself, it is an exercise in balance. Harmony does not emerge from identical elements, but from different elements brought together with intelligence and sensitivity. Beauty is not always found in uniformity. More often, it appears when contrasts are carefully reconciled.
For the Luxury Nomad, Mix&Match is therefore more than a way of dressing. It is a way of looking at the world. A curiosity for culture, a taste for nuance, and the belief that beauty often resides in the dialogue between different influences, materials, colours, places, and ideas.
Welcome to the world of Mix&Match.
further readings: