Showcasing Unity with Apparel. Families Donning Matching Outfits

I used to think that couples or families who wear matching outfits are committing a serious fashion faux pas. The idea of looking like Siamese twins just does not sit well with me. It is as close to a fashion disaster as being caught dead with someone wearing the same outfit at the same place, albeit coincidentally. To me, clothing is a visual medium for the creative expression of my distinct personality and dress sense. For instance, if I’m an artsy-fartsy kind of person, I would want to portray that kind of image. Clothing speaks volumes about a person’s character and mood and wearing matching clothes won’t be able to convey that.

Of late, I have been seeing a number of families wearing matching outfits in my neighbourhood, and also in a couple of shopping vicinities. I begin to wonder, why are some people into matching outfits? What is the attraction, the invisible pull behind this trend that makes people buy into it?

People have told me that wearing matching outfits emphasizes the family unit, the distinct identity of a family. It fosters a sense of belonging, a feeling of togetherness that every member matters to one another and the family. Sad to say, this sense of unity and family bonding are absent in many families in the world today, in Western and even Asian societies. But hey, if donning matching apparel helps to strengthen the family bonds and unity, why not?