How to Mix Patterns
It’s important to keep the colors limited. You’re mixing prints, you don’t want to also mix a ton of colors, then you’ll look messy. Picking 2 prints with similar colors, and maybe one with a big print and one with a smaller print. Plaids, stripes, and cheetah/leopard prints can be the “neutral” print of the two. You can do a floral and a plaid, or an abstract print and a stripe, or some other print, especially if there aren’t too many colors. Here are my examples:
OUTFIT #1:
Volcom plaid knee-length skirt
Red billabong off the shoulder top
Tan BC mules
Forever 21 red cross-body
Wooden bangles & hoops
Staple jewels
Free People big gold necklace.
A plaid Volcom skirt and a floral off-the-shoulder top. I think the plaid is kind of the neutral here. The floral top is black and white so that’s not too much going on, and then obviously the top has a red background, so it adds a little color, so that it’s not too boring. The red purse I thought was fun and I wore tan, heeled mules from BC shoes instead of black to break up all the black and white.
OUTFIT #2:
Volcom pale pink knee-length skirt
Zara blue top w/ polka dots
Roxy slides w/ tan snake skin
Forever 21 tan zipper clutch
Wooden bangles
Staple jewels
Michael Kors watch
Another Volcom skirt, actually the same skirt, just a different pattern. It’s a peachy color with a black pattern. Then I threw on a blue top with white polka dots. The only bold color is the blue, the other colors are very neutral and both patterns are small. Then I threw on my Roxy slides with a creamy faux snake skin print. And I grabbed a tan clutch that matches the base of my shoes.
OUTFIT #3:
Zara high-waisted plaid pants
Volcom yellow stars top
Matisse black polka-dot heels
Tan Forever 21 cape
Black clutch
All gold jewels
Vintage studs
Zara high-waisted plaid pants. There a slightly heavier material and would be great for fall and winter (even though I paired them with a thin camisole-like top) The pants are a small plaid, mostly tans and browns with a little black and red. Then my top is a marigold color with tiny white stars. Again, both patterns are small. I added the cape for a little style.
I thought it went well and really helped make it feel more like a Fall outfit, since, you probably wouldn’t wear those pants in the summer, like you would the top. But I also did wear peep toe shoes, so it’s very much an “LA” outfit in that many climates wouldn’t permit this look.
OUTFIT #4:
Zara high-waisted floral pants
Black and white RVCA top
Slate mules
Black cross-body
All gold watch
Gold necklace
#4 is another pair of pants from Zara. These are high waisted but a light weight silky material. So is the top. The top is from RVCA. I liked that the top was a little simpler in that it was just black and white, but obviously it’s an abstract print while the pants are floral. There prints are both bigger and bolder, but somehow, they still work for me. And I wore a very neutral greysih color, heeled, mule. And I just threw on my simple black cross-body purse.
OUTFIT #5:
TopShop floral skirt
Vintage red Blouse
Zara bone color boots
Mom’s vintage crochet purse
Gold heart necklace
Pink studs and ring
Staple jewels.
The Fifth look is a vintage blouse I bought in Chicago, a $10 skirt I found at Topshop, some bone colored Zara boots, and my mom’s vintage clutch, again. The red’s match (from the top and the bottom) but the pinks don’t. And they’re obviously different flowers, but I think the style of the pieces go so well together, that I just love this one.
OUTFIT #6:
Green & Other Stories dress
Cheetah jacket
White Free People boots
White purse
Nashelle green ring
Staple jewels
Watch
Hoops
A simple green A-line dress from & Other Stories that has a tiny floral print in black and white. Then a faux Suede black, white and grey cheetah moto jacket. The white boots are vegan leather from Free People. I thought the boots really pulled this look together. The only real pop of color here is the green, but there are 2 distinct prints going on. Oh, and I threw on that same white cross body bag again.
OUTFIT #7:
Forever 21 striped cropped tee
& Other Stories floral midi skirt
Pink Kimchi Blue peep-toes
Mom’s crochet purse
Wooden bangles
Look #7 is another piece from & Other Stories a pink floral midi skirt that has multi-color flowers on it and I paired it with a cream and navy striped top. The skirt has a little cream in it, but no navy or black in it. But the stripes are thin and not too busy, so it works. I used my mom’s vintage clutch again, and some wooden bangles. And I’m wearing the same pink heels I wore in the “Dress It Up Dress It Down” blog. These shoes go with so much even though they’re pink.
OUTFIT #8:
Striped pants from Anthropologie
Thrifted M Missoni cropped sweater
Tan Forever 21 belt
Tan BC mules
Colored Forever 21 bangle
One wooden bangle
Vintage cream and tan clutch.
Last but not least, look #8. These pants are a faded blue-purple and lavender stripe. The sweater which was a thrifted piece that a coworker gave me. It’s M by Missoni and she saw it and new how much I love Missoni so she just bought it for me. I’m so in love with it. It actually has a small hole so those lime green butterfly patches you see, I added those on to cover the hole.
I bought them at JoAnn’s Fabric. I took my sweater in with me and found a patch I liked. Took them home and Voilà It’s a prefect sweater again with a little extra touch that makes it even more unique. Both top and bottom have a stripe pattern, just in different directions and different variations. The top does have a lavender stripe that matches the pants and I think kinda pulls things together. But other than that, this one is just fun.
I paired it with a skinny tan belt, that matches the shoes. Which are the same heeled, BC mules from the Black and White Volcom skirt outfit. And I threw on a couple bangles for color and style. And that’s a vintage clutch my sister bought on Etsy. Etsy is so great for vintage/second hand bags.
Okay, I think that’s all I got. Let me know your thoughts, questions, feelings and I’ll catch you all next week.
