How to successfully combine different prints

I admit, I am not the biggest fan of this particular style, but even so I find a combination here and there that I like; I usually prefer one piece with a noticeable print and the rest of the outfit to be monochromatic. It’s a matter of taste. The fact remains that prints are very fashionable right now, in the summer as well as in the winter, so it’s good to know, how to combine them to make the look up-to-date and stylish. While there are no exact rules, I prepared some advice to help you when you’re faced with stripes, dots, floral patterns and abstract geometries. What used to be strictly forbidden is trending today.

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Dots and stripes together

You basically cannot go wrong here: you can always put the two together and it will look stunning. The bigger the better, and it’s good to keep them in the same colour. When you play with patterns, you should always keep in mind to coordinate the colour scheme, despite the chaos of the prints. Always find the common thread, even if the task seems almost impossible.

Stripes and florals, and stripes with everything else

A striped T-shirt is a timeless piece of a woman’s wardrobe, and it goes with everything else. Try how nicely it looks with floral or geometric patterns. It’s as if the stripes calm the chaos of different prints. If you’re not sure about the whole thing, try the simplest combination: a striped T-shirt and a floral clutch. This is a nice combination all year round; it doesn’t say anywhere that we should wear only black and grey until the end of February, far from it.

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The magic of a printed wide skirt

Midi lengths, to your knees or even over them, are wonderful. Wear them with pumps. If the skirt has a very large pattern, combine it with a simple one-colour T-shirt and play with the shoes for a guaranteed effect. The shoes can be animal print or two colours, for instance with a glittery point.

Keep the colours in harmony

Decide on three or four different colours and play with them; the prints may vary, but the colours should stay the same (there are enough of them as it is!). Go either for intense colours or completely neutral, but don’t mix them together. If you decide on pastels, keep all prints and patterns pastel, if you decide on neon tones, stay with those.

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Find existing good combinations

There are lots of labels that set up their displays with mix and match combinations and they’re beautiful. I normally don’t buy everything off the mannequin, because I like to experiment on my own, but you should know there is a crew of stylists behind every outfit that are good at what they do and know how to combine prints in the best and most beautiful way possible.

Start with the accessories

Getting accessories with different prints first, like shoes and bags, and then figure out how to play with patterns is a smart move, because you may not like the game. Gradually add another piece to the outfit, but don’t overdo it, especially in the winter when one way or another the wardrobe is less playful.

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Always adjust your hair and makeup

Mixing different patterns makes us think of the past and requires quite a lot of elegance and a sense of etiquette. Patterns will make you the centre of attention, so I would advise a bit less emphasis on the eyes and a bright lip that will bring out the colour of the print; so choose red, fuchsia or pink, depending on what you wear. It’s similar with nail polish, because this is another one of the small but big details that make sure you’ll look perfect.