The Co-ord Set, Decoded
Two pieces cut to be worn together — which is exactly why they work apart.
A co-ord is a top and a bottom cut from the same fabric and sold together. The
appeal is obvious: it is a whole outfit with no decisions in it. The part people
miss is that a co-ord is also two of the most wearable separates you will buy,
because they were cut to a single proportion by someone who was thinking about
the whole figure.
Wearing it as intended
Keep everything else quiet. A co-ord is already a full-length print or a full
-length colour, so the shoes, the bag and the jewellery are punctuation. One
piece of jewellery, one bag, done.
Splitting it
The top over jeans, and the trousers under a plain shirt, are two outfits
nobody will read as halves. Printed co-ords split better than solid ones —
a solid pair reads as a suit that has lost its jacket.
What to check before buying
The waist. Co-ord trousers are usually elasticated, which is comfortable
and unforgiving in equal measure. If the top is cropped, the waistband is
visible and its finish matters more than the fabric.
The length of the top. A co-ord top that ends exactly at the waistband is
the hardest to re-wear. One that ends above or well below it will go with other
things.
The fabric's weight. Light crepes and cottons move; heavier synthetics hold
a shape. Neither is better, but a heavy co-ord in a hot month is a co-ord you
will not reach for.
The honest limitation
A co-ord photographs beautifully and is worn twice as often as a dress in the
same print, because it can be broken up. If you are buying one to wear whole and
only whole, buy the dress instead — it will hang better.