How would you explain ‘dyed-to-match’ in the context?
A visit with Mother, to take her to La Flor for her birthday. She was dazzling as always in a violet frock and dyed-to-match wool cloche. Her new plan is to win the heart of an American engineer contracting for the government. She describes him as “plenty rugged.” Also plenty married: they met when he came in the dress shop to buy a gift, not for his wife but his mistress. “Former mistress,” Mother calls her hopefully.

How would you explain ‘dyed-to-match’ in the context?
Does it mean the cloche has the same colour as the frock?
Thanks!

Question

How would you explain ‘dyed-to-match’ in the context?
A visit with Mother, to take her to La Flor for her birthday. She was dazzling as always in a violet frock and dyed-to-match wool cloche. Her new plan is to win the heart of an American engineer contracting for the government. She describes him as “plenty rugged.” Also plenty married: they met when he came in the dress shop to buy a gift, not for his wife but his mistress. “Former mistress,” Mother calls her hopefully.

How would you explain ‘dyed-to-match’ in the context?
Does it mean the cloche has the same colour as the frock?
Thanks!

Answer

Yes. However, "dyed" means "changed in color by using a dye" (e.g. "He dyed his gray hair brown"). "Match" means matching in color. So it almost sounds as if the cloche was originally a different color as the frock, and she had it dyed... to match. I think, once again, that this is a 1940s cultural reference and I'm not sure I understand it. But it suggests to me that she was a person who paid attention to dress, and liked to wear unusual colors and was willing to take the trouble to have things "dyed to match."

Answer

Yes, it means that it's colour has been changed to match the frock colour.