Have you ever scrolled through your Instagram feed or flipped through a fashion mag and saw gorgeous outfits that combined prints you’d probably never think to put together but they totally work?! You think, “Man! I could never pull off that look!”, and yet, you really wanna try? Well, here are a few things that may help you start mixing prints as a newbie!
But wait… lemme state, for the record, that I am in no way shape or form an expert when it comes to mixing prints. I’m right there in the trenches with you, girl! Still learning and gradually dipping my toes in the print mixing world until such time that I feel more comfortable and won’t look crazy walking these NYC streets. 😄
As I learn what I learn about mixing prints, I’m sharing with you. So leggo!
Start With Accessories
If you’re new to taking two (or more) different patterns of clothing and wearing them together, a good way to ease into it is by starting with accessories. Wearing shoes or a purse with a completely different print from the clothes you’re wearing doesn’t require as much guts or commitment as wearing a top and a bottom with contrasting prints. Since your bag or footwear isn’t laying directly against or close to your clothing, you may feel a little more comfortable because they’re spaced out and the contrast is less “shocking”.
Exhibit A:
dress – SHEIN (similar) | sandals – ShoeDazzle (similar here & here)
Go With Neutrals & Simple Patterns
When you’re mixing prints as a newbie, “loud” patterns (think paisley, Aztec, etc.) may scare you at first. So go in easy with simple prints that are considered neutral like polka dots, leopard or simple stripes. You can almost never go wrong with black and white polka dots as a base, so it totally works with the floral shoes.
Adding actual neutral pieces to your outfit can also help break up the patterns, kinda like what I did here. The stripes paired with the Aztec-ish print purse is less busy with the khaki cargo vest in between.
Keep at Least One Color in Common
I think this is a rule that remains even for those who are pros at mixing prints. Oftentimes, the reason why certain prints look good together in the first place is because there’s a common color or two… or more between them. So even though the patterns may be different, they’ll still blend and complement each other well.
In the above example, my top is white & navy striped and my purse also contains a dark blue and white, which are all kinda pulled together by my blue jeans. In my wedding outfit, the common color is white. So the polka dot and floral prints flow with no problem.
So that’s it! As someone new to mixing prints, these little tidbits have helped me at least attempt it without feeling all the way weird about it. If you’ve been doing this for a while and have any tips for me, I’m open to hearing them! Drop a comment below!
So how good are YOU at mixing prints? Does the longstanding ‘trend’ of mixing prints scare you or are you willing to give it try with these tips?
