My sofa is kind of dark charcoal-y grey in color... I love how etoupe looks against that..something different/eye catching but yet sufficiently toned down. Black is of course nice (but a no brainer and IMO, doesn't really stand out.. i.e. another black bag).. Rose dragee looks good against the dark charcoal grey (but it's a high maintenance color)...Hope this helps
archangel, thanks for this picture. Now I see why etoupe is running strong in this poll. It took me a while to warm up to this color (ok, its a cool color, so maybe you dont "warm up" to it - hence it took me a while to "find it cool"). I like the contrast with charcoal.
This picture reminded me of something I have noted in observing the way women dress in New York (whether on the subway or Madison or wherever). When I worked in midtown, I rode the subway and walked down Fifth Avenue every day. I was constantly struck by how well women were put together, regardless of wealth. I observed these five "rules":
1. There is always one element that subtly, but consciously, "fights" against the rest of the outfit. Usually, something small in scale and the color pops but in an slightly edgy way. A blue jean bag against a charcoal coat would be an example of this (as opposed to brighton blue with charcoal).
2. There is a motif that is picked up twice in the outfit. Example: small gold braid in shoes, larger gold braid design in a scarf.
3. There is one piece that is one level more dressy, or more casual, then the rest of the outfit. Eg rhinestones in a sweater worn with jeans; denim jacket with silk dress.
4. There are four corners of a great outfit: shoes, bag, watch, fragrance. Always must have at least 3 of 4.
5. Re: rule 4 above, at least one of the three has to be the shoes. The right shoes pick up any outfit.
