Mixing patterns is risky business--can it be done? What are the tricks to make it work?
For this post, I teamed up with Lena Penteado, a lovely fashionista from Portugal. You must go follow Lena right now.
She is so wise a stylist yet she will not bury you in posts--each of her posts feels like an eagerly-awaited treat. She will show you how to make the most of your assets, how to dress to be more chic, how to avoid style mistakes, how to stay on trend without losing your own style. If you visit Lena's website, she'll also email you a fantastic free style ebook with brilliant, simple tips to help you dramatically improve your image & style. Lena's motto: "In love with helping you look fabulous, feel confident and achieve everything you want!"
For this post, Lena and I each created two outfits mixing prints, combining patterns in different ways.
Here are our four tips for mixing patterns:
1. Mix prints of a similar size
2. Mix prints of a similar color
3. Mix a small print with a large print
4. Mix bold prints with discreet prints
For this post, I teamed up with Lena Penteado, a lovely fashionista from Portugal. You must go follow Lena right now.
She is so wise a stylist yet she will not bury you in posts--each of her posts feels like an eagerly-awaited treat. She will show you how to make the most of your assets, how to dress to be more chic, how to avoid style mistakes, how to stay on trend without losing your own style. If you visit Lena's website, she'll also email you a fantastic free style ebook with brilliant, simple tips to help you dramatically improve your image & style. Lena's motto: "In love with helping you look fabulous, feel confident and achieve everything you want!"
For this post, Lena and I each created two outfits mixing prints, combining patterns in different ways.
Here are our four tips for mixing patterns:
1. Mix prints of a similar size
2. Mix prints of a similar color
3. Mix a small print with a large print
4. Mix bold prints with discreet prints
Outfit 1 (me): mixing prints of a similar size
Sometimes I tilt my head & look at the things in the closet to see what looks nice hanging together. That's how I came upon this combination. I already love the colors blue & raspberry together. I wouldn't have thought of pairing two prints, but because the prints are both small, I think they work well together. A long neutral cardigan creates a kind of unifying frame (or cement :-). I also threw on a small blue-stoned pendant necklace to echo the colors in the pants.
Sometimes I tilt my head & look at the things in the closet to see what looks nice hanging together. That's how I came upon this combination. I already love the colors blue & raspberry together. I wouldn't have thought of pairing two prints, but because the prints are both small, I think they work well together. A long neutral cardigan creates a kind of unifying frame (or cement :-). I also threw on a small blue-stoned pendant necklace to echo the colors in the pants.
H&M printed pants, Long Tall Sally shirt, Tulle cardigan, & Lord & Taylor ankle boots
Outfit 2 (Lena): mixing prints of similar colors
I think Lena must have a crush on raspberry & blue too. Here she pairs a plaid shirt with a small-print, pleated skirt--it works because the colors are similar.
Zara skirt, Pull & Bear shirt
Outfit 3 (me): mixing a small print with a large print
The first tendency when pairing a printed skirt is to look for a solid top of one of the colors in the skirt. But you know me--always looking for more options, so I'm not wearing the same ole skirt with the same ole top every time. Here I think the combination works because the colors complement each other, because the skirt is actually neutral in color, & because the tiny print of the top is balanced by the large swaths of the print on the skirt. What do you think?
Outfit 4 (Lena): Mix bold prints with discreet prints
I love this outfit! I love how startling, edgy but also simple the combination is. Rather than softening the bold print of the graphic tee, the contrast of the delicate cardigan makes image on the tee even more dramatic.
Zara graphic tee, Zara cardigan
Great thanks to Lena for creating this post with me! I hope it's given everyone some new ideas on how to pair prints in their wardrobes to create new outfits & get more of their clothes out on the streets into circulation!
What do you think? Which outfits do you like best? Have you paired prints yourself? What are your tricks?
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