LaPointe Matching Sets: How to Wear the Tonal Column

The matching set is the most useful thing LaPointe makes, and the least discussed. A satin cape tee with the satin trouser cut in the same cloth and the same colour gives you a column of one shade, which is the easiest way to look deliberate without looking like you tried.

It is also the reason the house works for people who do not enjoy getting dressed. You buy two pieces once and you have four outfits.

What is a LaPointe matching set?

It is a top and a bottom cut from the same fabric in the same colourway, sold separately. LaPointe does not package them as a suit, so you choose the sizes independently, which matters when your top half and bottom half do not agree.

The most common pairing is the satin cape tee with the relaxed pleated trouser. Others include the caftan top with a wide leg pant, a knit top with a matching ribbed skirt, and a georgette top with the georgette wide leg.

Why does a tonal column work?

An unbroken line of one colour reads as taller and calmer than the same outfit split into two shades. There is no horizontal break at the waist for the eye to stop at.

The effect is strongest in a fabric with some shine, because the light does the shaping instead of a contrast seam. That is why satin sets work better than cotton ones. A LaPointe satin column in chocolate reads rich rather than flat, and the drape does the rest.

How do you style a set four ways?

Here is the arithmetic that makes a set worth buying.

Together, as intended. The full tonal column with a bare shoe. This is the evening outfit.

Top with denim. A satin cape tee over a straight jean is the easiest dressed-up-casual outfit in the wardrobe. The shine carries it.

Trouser with a knit. The satin pleated trouser under a plain merino turtleneck is a working outfit that does not look like workwear.

Split across two sets. Once you own two, the black top goes with the chocolate trouser. Because the fabric matches even when the colour does not, it still reads as considered.

Browse the tops, the pants and the skirts to build one.

How should each half fit?

Size each piece for itself. This is the advantage of a set sold as separates, and people waste it by ordering the same size twice out of habit.

The cape tee and caftan tops are cut wide by design, so they run large in appearance without running large in measurement. Take your usual size unless you want the drape to sit at the elbow rather than the forearm.

The relaxed pleated trousers sit at the natural waist and have real volume through the leg. If you are short in the leg, plan a hem: these are cut long for a heel. Everything is listed on the UK ladder at Coveti and sized on the US ladder at source, and the sizing guide has the conversion.

Which colours are worth owning?

Black is the obvious one and it is not the interesting one. The sets earn their keep in the house colours: chocolate, cinder, oat, emerald, mulberry and marine. A chocolate satin column is more useful than a black one, because it is less obviously eveningwear and it flatters more skin tones.

Cream and oat make a summer column that works for a daytime event. They crease more visibly, so pack them hanging.

Where to buy

Coveti carries the LaPointe separates that pair into sets. Start at the LaPointe edit, and read how to wear LaPointe for the wider house silhouettes. Everything is authenticated before it ships.

Frequently asked questions

Does LaPointe sell matching sets?

LaPointe cuts tops and bottoms from the same fabric and colourway but sells them as separates, so you buy the two pieces individually and choose each size independently.

What is the most popular LaPointe set?

The satin cape tee with the satin relaxed pleated trouser. Other common pairings are the caftan top with a wide leg pant, and a knit top with a matching ribbed skirt.

Should I order the same size in both halves of a set?

No. Size each piece for itself. The cape tee and caftan tops are cut wide by design, and the relaxed trousers sit at the natural waist with real volume, so the sizes do not have to match.

What colour LaPointe set is most useful?

Chocolate is more versatile than black, because it reads less as eveningwear and flatters a wider range of skin tones. Cinder, oat, emerald, mulberry and marine also recur across the sets.

Can you wear the two halves of a set separately?

Yes, and that is the point of buying one. The satin top works over denim, and the satin trouser works under a plain knit, so two pieces give you roughly four outfits.

Read next

• LaPointe knitwear
• How to wear LaPointe
• The LaPointe satin suit

Written by Gemma Deeks, Fashion Editor at Coveti.