Have you ever seen a movie? Of course you have. Well, you know how they give out awards to the people in the movies and the categories are always Best Actor/Actress and then Best Actor/Actress in a supporting role? That’s to distinguish the star of said movie from the supporting cast. It’s usually a clear distinction.
Do your outfits have the same distinction? You may want them to! It’s hard for certain pieces to work in harmony together if they are all trying to command your attention. If your tie and shirt are both overpowering…well, then there’s a power struggle. And when there’s a power struggle everybody loses.
So how can one avoid this? Well before putting it all together…choose! Pick which piece you want to be the star. Then select the other items in a way that will compliment or highlight the star, not compete with it. This doesn’t mean that the other pieces will go unnoticed. In fact, in a lot of movies the supporting actor outshines the star! Not because they’re power hungry, but because they are fulfilling their role perfectly.
Like Anne Hathaway in Les Mis! Let’s be honest, nobody‘s going to see the 97th remake of Les Mis to see Catwoman. You go to see Wolverine! But then you see it and you’re like: “When’s Wolverine gonna pop his claws…I’m bored…Cat Woman’s sooo pretty…and she can sing…I LOVE YOU CATWOMAN!!”
And then she wins best supporting actress and Wolverine is all like “What about me BUB!!?”…SNIKT