How to Match Hair Bows and Shoe Bows for a Wedding
By Harriet Wilde: Designer Wedding Shoes - Wedding Shoes UK ... | Published: 2026-10-15
Category: How-to Guides
A step-by-step guide to coordinating bridal hair bows and shoe bows, from fabric matching to colour choices and final adjustments.
Quick answer
Start with one fabric and one colour family, then let the shoes lead and the hair bow follow. If your shoes have detachable bows, match the hair bow to the same organza or satin used on the shoes, and keep the scale of the two bows in proportion. For a blue accent, a silk organza hair bow in the same blue as your shoe bows creates a coordinated set without looking like a uniform.
Why fabric and colour should come from the same source
The easiest way to make a hair bow and shoe bow look intentional is to use the same fabric. If your shoes are trimmed in silk organza, a hair bow in the same silk organza will catch the light in the same way and read as a set. Mixing a shiny satin hair bow with matte organza shoe bows can work, but it adds a contrast you have to manage deliberately. When you can, buy the hair accessory from the same designer or collection as the shoes so the fabric, dye lot and finish are consistent.
How to scale bows for hair and shoes
A shoe bow sits on a small area, so it is usually smaller and more structured. A hair bow sits against your head and can be larger, but if it is too large it will overpower a delicate shoe. As a rule, keep the hair bow no more than twice the width of the shoe bow. If your shoe bows are detachable and you plan to remove them for the reception, you can go slightly larger with the hair bow because the shoes will become plain later.
Colour matching when you want a blue accent
Blue is a popular accent for bridal accessories, but blue dyes can vary between fabrics. If you want a blue hair bow to match blue shoe bows, check them together in daylight. A blue silk organza hair bow and blue organza shoe bows from the same collection are the safest match. If you are matching to a blue suede shoe, choose a hair bow in a similar depth of blue rather than a brighter or paler shade, because suede absorbs light differently from organza.
Detachable bows: a practical advantage
Detachable shoe bows give you flexibility. You can wear the bows for the ceremony and photographs, then remove them for dancing or if your feet need a change. If your hair bow is also detachable, you can move it from a half-up style to a low bun between events. Check that the clips or attachments on both are secure but gentle on fabric, and practise removing and reattaching them before the wedding day.
Your step-by-step matching process
- 1. Choose your shoe first: Decide on the shoe style, fabric and colour before you buy any hair accessory. The shoes set the tone and are harder to change later. Checkpoint: if your shoes have detachable bows, note the exact fabric and colour name so you can match them.
- 2. Identify the bow fabric on your shoes: Look at the shoe bows and note whether they are organza, satin, velvet or suede. This tells you which hair bow fabric will blend best. Common mistake: assuming all ivory satins match. They do not; different mills and dye lots vary.
- 3. Pick a hair bow in the same fabric family: If your shoe bows are silk organza, choose a silk organza hair bow. If they are velvet, a velvet hair bow will look more cohesive than a shiny satin one. Checkpoint: hold the hair bow next to the shoe bow in daylight. If one looks yellow or grey against the other, try a different dye lot.
- 4. Match the colour, not just the name: Compare the actual colour of the hair bow and shoe bow side by side. A blue organza hair bow and blue organza shoe bows from the same collection are the closest match. Common mistake: buying a blue hair bow online without checking it against the shoe. Screen colours are not reliable.
- 5. Scale the bows to each other: Keep the hair bow no more than twice the width of the shoe bow. If the shoe bow is small and structured, a large floppy hair bow will look unbalanced. Checkpoint: take a photo of both together from a distance. If the hair bow dominates, size down.
- 6. Test the placement and attachment: Put on the shoes and the hair bow together. Check that the hair bow sits comfortably with your hairstyle and veil, and that the shoe bows do not catch on your dress hem. Common mistake: forgetting to walk in the shoes with the bows on. A loose bow can snag tulle or lace.
- 7. Decide what stays for the reception: If your shoe bows are detachable, plan whether you will remove them after the ceremony. If you remove them, your hair bow can be the only bow accent, which changes the balance. Checkpoint: if you remove the shoe bows, make sure the shoes still look finished without them.
Product facts
- Belle Hair Bow Organza Blue: Harriet Wide bridal hair bow in silk organza in blue, using the same organza as the shoes. Guarantees the hair bow and shoe bows share the same fabric and dye, so they match in daylight and photographs.
- Hetty Bow: Hetty Bow is a high heeled block wedding shoe with bows on shoe clips, available in ivory silk satin, forest green, bordo velvet and misty blue suede, with a 9cm heel and ankle straps. The detachable bows let you coordinate with a hair bow and then remove them later, and the colour options help you match a hair accessory to your palette.
