10 Ways to Mix Wardrobe Patterns & Prints with Style

This week’s post was written by Ginger Burr, president of Boston-based Total Image Consultants. A treasured and well-respected friend and colleague, Ginger has done a masterful job of explaining how to mix and match prints. Rather than re-invent the wheel, I have gotten the go-ahead from Ginger to re-publish her piece.

Mixing prints and patterns in an outfit is all the rage these days and one of today’s latest trends. It used to be that if you wore two different prints at the same time people assumed you either got dressed in the dark or that “the usual suspects” in your wardrobe were in the laundry or at the cleaners. Today, mixing prints is de rigueur.

But if you don’t mix and match prints correctly, you will still look like you got dressed in the dark.

Short of ignoring the trend completely, which is certainly an option, how do you know what prints can be mixed well and which combinations to avoid at all costs?

Getting help with this can be tricky. If you look at print combos on the runway, online or in local boutiques or department stores, you would think that every print can be matched with any other print. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to many of the combinations they have created. “Just throw them together and you’re in style” seems to be the fashion message.

Mixing prints well is not necessarily easy, but if the concept intrigues you it can be so satisfying to find a combination that shines.

To help make the experience of mixing and matching prints more manageable and fun, here are 10 basic tip:

1. Keep colors consistent

You can go pretty wild, or not, mixing and matching prints when you repeat colors. Here is an example from the runway where the neutral taupe and white colors are repeated. The prints each have a similar round shape to them that also makes it a great combo.

Below is an example that puts together the colors plum, beige and teal. It basically reverses the colors–an off-white background in the top with small amounts of the other colors vs. a darker background in the skirt with lots of plum and less of the teal  and off white.

The skirt’s teal waistband helps separate the prints and gives the outfit balance.

You will see many more ideas of mixed prints available in stores with examples of repeating colors HERE. There are many examples, so be sure to give yourself time to download all the pictures.

2. Pay attention to scale

Scale is important in mixing and matching prints, but it’s super tricky to master. Some women, depending upon their coloring and personality, can combine two large geometric, brightly-colored prints and rock it. Others might be completely overwhelmed by this dramatic duo and need softer colors, lower contrast or smaller scale prints.

It can be very lovely to combine a larger print with a smaller-scale print like one this:

3. Treat stripes as a “neutral”

If you are mixing wardrobe prints for the first time, try beginning with a striped garment. Just remember that it’s good to repeat colors in each print. But remember that stripes do not work for everyone due to body shape (curvy bodies with straight stripes can conflict) and personality. Not every woman is a stripe-kind-of-gal at heart!

But, for those of you who love stripes, it can be a great ‘neutral’ print.

See many more, including a large selection of black and white combinations HERE.

4. Add a little at a time

If you do not feel totally confident combining a top and bottom in a different print or worry it will be overwhelming, why not add a printed scarf to a print top or bottom? This can be an easy and less-overpowering way to experiment. Here are some samples:

Add a print scarf in the same combination of colors.

Or pick up the same colors and add a third color:

See many more scarf ideas for this dress HERE entitled: ‘Start with Stripes’.
See more scarf ideas under the ‘Black & White Stripes Winning Combinations’.

5. Replace a print with texture

Afraid to take the plunge into all out print mixing? Why not combine texture with a print instead. It is more subtle, but still has the energy and vibrancy of an unexpected mixture.

See more HERE entitled: ”Mixed Prints Texture, Size & Pattern’

6. Repeat an element of the print

In this skirt below, you will see aqua colored leaves repeated in the cardigan.

See another example HERE using the same skirt (entitled: ‘Repeat a Pattern 1-3’) and see another example below with a paisley print.

7. Leave space between the prints

Separate different prints with solid colors. There are several ways to do this:

• Add a belt to break up the two prints.
• Wear a solid-colored cardigan or shirt over the print top so you only see a small amount of the print around the neck and perhaps the cuffs.
• Choose a garment that has some solid color combined with a print–perhaps a skirt with a print at the hemline or a solid-colored blouse that has a print only on the collar or cuffs.
• Pair print shoes with a complimentary print skirt so the prints are separated by your legs.You can see examples of all of the above throughout all the examples HERE.

8. Reverse the print

Another option to mixing and matching prints is to reverse the print. Here is an example using a window-pane print:

See many more examples HERE (entitled ‘Reverse Prints’).

9. Is animal print neutral?

Some stylists will tell you that animal print is considered a “neutral.” Nice try, but not so fast. I suppose at times it can be, but you cannot throw any animal print with any other print and expect it to work. You still have to pay attention to all of the guidelines mentioned above.

Here is an example using shoes as a great way to add a hint of animal print and a nod to the trend of mixing prints–all in complimentary colors:

You can see another example with several animal print options here including a warmer toned animal print combination HERE.

10. What does your personality say about mixing prints?

You always have to keep your personality, your inner essence, in mind whenever you get dressed, and this is never more important than when mixing prints. Prints, in general, take focus away from you, and they can easily be overwhelming. When you combine prints the energy is very busy. Someone who is dynamic, quirky or passionate, for instance, has the personality to balance that energy. But if you’re refreshingly graceful or softly elegant, you need to be very careful to keep your mix-and-match prints refreshingly graceful and softly elegant.

Here is an example or pairing stripes with paisley, with many more combinations HERE):

Or repeat the print (in this case, paisley) with similar colors:

This might mean mixing a pattern with a print as opposed to mixing two full prints. Be sure to separate the prints with softer solid colors, as in the examples above. See many examples of both of these HERE (entitled: ‘soft print combinations’).

No matter who you are, the important thing is to be true to your personality and style while still being open to fun new ideas. If it intrigues you, I encourage you to explore this trend, and make it your own.

PS: You will find many, many more examples of everything we’ve talked about HERE, including an entire collection of black and white print combinations, including tops, jackets, pants, skirts, scarves and shoes AND a section on prints that DO NOT work and explanations of why they don’t.

---

Written by Ginger Burr. Ginger is the President of Total Image Consultants and author of
‘That’s So You!” She helps women create a wardrobe they love by connecting with their inner essence. She’s been interviewed by Worth Magazine, Forbes Magazine and Bloomberg Business Week.