The closest I have ever come to dressing like my spouse has been at Halloween parties in years gone by. A lot of years gone by!
Mr. Diamond is always sending me interesting articles and bits of trivia to use on my blog. Recently he sent me an article that he read in the Wall Street Journal that caught my eye. Mainly because it is all about love. And I am nothing if I am not a love promoter.
Evidently there is a new trend in China that (keeping my fingers crossed) may hit the United States if we are lucky! It is known as qing lu zhuang and it loosely means that the couple in love wears matching clothes. What could be cuter than seeing a young couple walking hand in hand down the busy streets dressed in matching smiley face t-shirts, faded denim and matching color coordinated TOMS?
The article, one of many I found on the subject online, says that many couples do not wear wedding rings, hold hands or kiss in public. Instead—they wear clothing that matches. It is a pledge to one another that they “belong” to one another and are in a relationship. The problem arises when the couple splits up (as sometimes happens in real life) and each is left with half of a matching outfit. What to do?
I found some examples on China’s site–Taobao. I had to wade through a bit of a language barrier as all I know is 谢谢 Xièxiè (thank you) but I found some potential outfits for the hubby and I. You get to vote. Which one is your favorite for Mr. Diamond and Ms. Goldie? (All images from Taobao online catalog)
I know which one is my favorite! How about you? Inquiring minds want to know!
It's Just Life 
Oh please, the 80 s track suits! I could suggest this to my honey of 31 years, we have matching camo.
Matching camp rocks!!! 🙂 But yes—please suggest to your hubby!!! I think it would make a great Christmas gift!
I would LOVE to see you both in that first striped set! LOL I can remember in high school doing the matching sweater thing with my boyfriend (later ex-husband) and thinking it was SO great…. Not so much now looking back. Ha Ha I am sure people think Donald and I do it on purpose, but lots of times when getting ready for church we will end up in the same colors. It’s usually just on Sunday mornings that it happens, weird, and doesn’t matter if I decide the night before or grab something that morning. Great minds think alike???
I think great minds DO think alike and you and Donald are two of them!!! I can just see you with matching sweaters back in high school. You were so cool! 🙂
I like the middle outfit – looks so comfy and cuddly!!! Something I would wear on a day like today – it’s rainy and dreary out – perfect for snuggling on the couch and also the only outfit I would get hubby to wear – probably!!! 🙂
Haha!! Yea–that one does look cuddly and sweet, doesn’t it? I seriously doubt I could get Chris to wear anything matching anymore. When we were younger…maybe!
I am going to choose to comment on that photo of you and your hubby. I am just digging those 80s glasses. They look exactly like a pair I once wore. Do we have great taste or what? Oh, yes, that was the style.
As for my vote, I choose number one with the stripes.
This entire story and photos are pretty entertaining.
Oh yes–those glasses!!! Could they be any bigger? Chris knew how much I hated wearing glasses and our senior year of college he paid for my brand spanking new contacts! Something I probably never would have gotten on my own but he encouraged me and told me that they would be great for me and over 30 years later he is still right!
I want all 3! Could you find 4 more so Kevin and I can match every day of the week? Lol Kevin would NOT go for this at all, except maybe matching football jerseys!
Oh yes—I could come up with 4 more for you guys!!! I think that would definitely say I love you! I bet you could convince Kevin ……
My parents did this in the mid 70’s into the 80’s. I mean my Dad wore red, yellow, green pants too. haha Anytime they went out they matched. We went to a Christian Concert as a family and there were at least 8 of us and we all wore Beige Outfits! lol We still talk about that to this day!
That is so funny!!!! I made the boys wear matching stuff when they were little and I sewed little outfits. We had all 6 of the cousins wear matching things that we made for Christmas and have tons of pictures of them which they hate to see. I did order the official family beach picture a couple years ago with khakis and white shirts…..It turned out great but there was a lot of grumbling.
I’ve chosen #2……although the first certainly would result in quite a photo op!!!! and the 3rd is a little “Treky” for me!!!! LOL!
🙂 Aren’t they funny????
They are! I think I’ll pass on that idea (DH and my style are decidedly different!! LOL!).
Yea, but don’t you guys share a love of leather motorcycle stuff??????
Good point!!!! Black leather is always appropriate and you can dress it up or down!! LOL!
Exactly!
I gotta say – the striped ones just speak to me. 🙂
although I would like a little bit more length to those short shorts. winter coming and all. ha
I liked the striped ones, too. But yea—a little longer might be a bit more appropriate at my age!
I will vote for the 2nd one. But I would love to see you two in the first one just for a great picture!
Haha!! I don’t think I could convince Chris on ANY of these options. The closest we get these days are wearing Carolina shirts. 🙂
Well first of all CH and I do kind of dress alike. You know jeans, shirt, boots/sandals/tennies but a big no to “matching” outfits. Nope. Not ever. #1 for you two. Good Morning Beth!
Good morning back at ya!!! Oh come on—you know you want to have matching “track suits”, don’t you!!!! Come on!
😆
This has me laughing. This is right up there with putting clothes on a pet! Since you asked, I like the stripes–agree with all comments about length of shorts! Kind of like the Memes that circulate: This is how I imagine I look, this is the way I really look…. the reality for the hubs and me in matching outfits? Wouldn’t come close to the images you found!
Glad I made you laugh! Yea–I think we could rock the striped one!!!! 🙂
Oh geez…,my husband and I resemble this post. 😉 Go with the stripes!!!
Are stripes slimming? Because that is the look I am going for…..
Uhm….not thinking so. Even if you ARE slim!
I like the black and white warm-up suits.
🙂 Yea–they seem the least offensive of these options, don’t they?
The third one–so Logan’s Run!
Haha!! Hadn’t thought of that for ages!!!! Thanks, Anne!
Why not just wear uniforms then, and by the way, I wouldn’t look good in
Capri pants and a tank top… You can trust me on that..
You don’t subscribe to the fashion trend of manpris??? Oh come on. I bet you could rock that look!
Oh, that look would be rocked alright, people on the street would stone me…Even my family I think.. lol
Although I do own a pair of “mandals” that my wife gave me, as a joke, for my birthday a few years ago.. I do wear them out to water the garden in the summer, but that’s it.. Otherwise, like my political self, I’m a blue collar conservative.
I will make a donation to your cause if you and Mr. Diamond dress up in matching smiley face t-shirts, faded denim and matching color coordinated TOMS and take a picture of yourselves to post of-course and if you can get the entire family to do it at Thanksgiving……
Favorite? Hard, Hard choice but #2
Oh that would be soooo awesome but I am going to be doing well if I can get them posed for one beach pic AND they are all sporting the Duck Dynasty look for Movember. ugh. I am not a fan. Sigh.
My husband & I will accidently put on identical t-shirts, or matching shorts/shirts and not even realize it. Guess that means we’re ‘Accidental In-Loves’.
Perhaps so!!!! Or that you are just one of a kind!!! Totally in sync???
I like the last pair best. My husband and I often wear same colors to church and we do were same team sport shirts sometimes, especially Ohio State.
Oh I bet you guys do wear matching Ohio State stuff!!! That would be pretty normal but some of these outfits were really crazy!
I guess I would go for #3. I liked 2 also as they looked comfortable.
They do look comfy!!! 🙂 I don’t think I could convince Chris on any of them, though.
Outfit #3 for that sporty yet sophisticated look!
🙂
Knowing my husband and I we probably wouldn’t wear any of them, though I do like the third one. Haha. I’ve been known to get all weirded out when we’re too matchy matchy. No idea why, I just don’t like it. Exceptions made on holidays of course. =)
Yea I could never get Chris to wear anything remotely like these (thank goodness) but we do sometimes do the matching khakis and polo shirt match in the summer without planning it. 🙂
For the past 70 years, we have never tried to match dress!!!
Maybe you should try it now!!! 🙂
This is tough. You travel so much, I think you need all three in your wardrobe–stripes for those beach days, velour for wintry Iowa, and the track suits with built-in bib for visits to the dentist.
You have it all figured out for me, don’ t you?? Thanks so much for your invaluable help!
I totally love the striped option at the top…pants for him, shorts for you.
And I did see some folks like this when we were in China in September. Don’t know why I didn’t whip out my camera…folks there sure weren’t shy about taking pictures of my family. 🙂
Man—why didn’t you??? I think it is so funny!!!! And I bet you guys were a novelty over there, weren’t you? I just remember riding the subway with my hubby who is 6 foot 2 and they all avoided looking at us. 🙂 I think we scared them. WE did not see any great examples of dressing alike but I would have snapped a pic if I had seen them!