What are your thoughts on matching outfits?

Have you ever gone out on a date with your significant other dressed in matching outfits? In Japanese, they call a couple’s outfit a “pair look”, and it can be a cute way to show everyone that you’re a couple. There are lots of ways to do it; it doesn’t have to be the exact same set of clothes. You can simply match colors or patterns or wear outfits that coordinate in some way.

But how many people in Japan actually wear couple’s outfits? Not all that many, it turns out. According to a recent survey conducted by lifestyle media website Fastrend, less than 20 percent of married couples have tried going on a date in a couple’s outfit. But that doesn’t mean that people don’t want to try it!

The survey, which was conducted between November 18 and November 26 of this year, asked 800 married people–400 women and 400 men—about their experiences with couple’s outfits. When asked whether they’d ever gone on a date with their spouse in matching outfits, only 18.1 percent said yes.

▼ “Have you ever gone out as a couple in a couple’s outfit?” Pink for “Yes.” Blue for “No.”

But more than 18 percent might be open to the idea of a couple’s outfit, as long as their romantic partner makes the first move. When the respondents who had tried a couple’s outfit were asked, “How did you feel when your spouse suggested a couple’s outfit?” more than half said, “I was happy.” Only 14.3 percent said, “I didn’t like it.”

Respondents were asked to give the reasons for their feelings. Some of those who were happy about it said:

“It was fun to act silly for once.” (Woman in her 30s)
“It made the day more fun.” (Man in his 40s)
“It felt like we were sharing something.” (Man in his 40s)
“Because my wife knit matching sweaters for us.” (Man in his 70s)

▼ “How did you feel when your spouse suggested a couple’s outfit?” Pink for “I was happy.” Blue for “I didn’t like it.” Gray for “Neither.”

Those who didn’t respond well to the idea said:

“We aren’t young anymore, so it would be embarrassing.” (Woman in her 30s)
“Because it was his preferred kind of clothing.” (Woman in her 40s)

28.6 percent couldn’t select either “I was happy” or “I didn’t like it”, and of them, many said something along the lines of, “I didn’t feel any special way about it, but if it made my spouse happy, I didn’t mind.” Some expressed that they were equally happy and embarrassed at the idea, and another even said, “My wife picks out my clothes for me anyway so I didn’t even think about it.”

But clearly those who didn’t like the idea were gentle in their rejection of it–or didn’t reject it at all, because when asked, “How did your spouse respond when you suggested the idea of a couple’s outfit?” only 4.4 percent said, “They didn’t like it”. The responses of “They were happy” and “Neither” were almost evenly split, at 48.9 percent for the latter and 46.7 percent for the former.

▼ “How did your spouse respond when you suggested the idea of a couple’s outfit?” Pink for “They were happy.” Blue for “They didn’t like it.” Gray for “Neither.”

That being said, the majority of those proposing a couple’s look were women. The respondents were also asked, “Who suggested the idea of doing a couple’s outfit?” 42.5 percent of the male respondents said, “My spouse”, while 41.7 percent of the female respondents said “Myself,” indicating that women are more often the ones initiating a “pair look”.

▼ “Who was the first one to suggest a couple’s outfit?” Men on top, women on bottom. Blue for “Myself”, pink for “My spouse”, and gray for “Neither.”

So men, maybe that’s an indication that suggesting a couple’s outfit to your partner will make them really happy! Plus, if they’re a social media user, it looks great on Instagram, which will give you major bonus points. You don’t have to go all out like this stylish couple; simply matching the color of your tie with their shirt could be enough. Why not give it a try?

Source: PR Times
Top image: Photo AC
Insert images: PR Times
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