- Mixing prints and pattern – yay or nay?
- How to mix patterns and/or prints
- Mixed prints and patterns outfit ideas
- Floral and stripes
- Animal plus …
- Stripes and plaid
- Floral and plaid
- Stripes and polka dots
- Polka dots with plaid
- Camouflage plus others
- Mixing three and up
- Same, but different size/color
- What doesn’t work when mixing prints/patterns
- Wrapping up
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Mixing prints and pattern – yay or nay
Well, it’s an old fashion rule to only wear one print or pattern in an outfit.
Just one print per outfit is so yesteryear. #fashiontrends Click To TweetToday, mixing prints and/or patterns are a modern way to look stylish. What is too much for one women, may be just right for another. When I wear a print or pattern I rarely wear just one. Somehow I do love to mix them. Today I want to share what works and what doesn’t. This post reveals the best stylists’ tricks and secrets on how to mix prints and/or pattern like a pro.
Don’t let the right outfit be a random thing. Wear the right look in every situation by looking up what to wear when in my style recipe book How to Dress for Success in Midlife. Buy the book now.
How to mix patterns and/or prints
… without looking like you dressed in the dark due to an outage. Here is a list of the tricks to get the mixed print-pattern trend right to the spot.
- Polka dots of about the same size look great when the colors of the dots and background are inverted, or the dots have the same color, but the background has a different color. This polka dots on different color is a favorite next mix-and-match of fashion designers. The same applies for stripes. This type of mix is the easiest to start with.
- You can mix all kind of prints and pattern when they are gray.
- Ground your prints/patterns with a solid color. If the print/pattern has black using black is foolproof. Otherwise the color that dominates the print is a good one to use.
- Mix prints/patterns that have several colors in common.
- Try to mix printed pieces which are in the same color scheme, but have different shades.
- Make sure the prints have a different size or they are the same print and size, but different colors.
- Only one animal print per outfit is foolproof.
- To look ageless in animal print choose it in its natural or close to natural colors and treat the animal print as a neutral paired with large floral print with or without stripes that pick up colors of the print.
- Try different geometric prints together that have common colors.
- Try florals of different size with common colors.
- Restrict yourself to two neutrals like black and white or white and blue.

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Mixed prints and patterns outfit ideas
Here are some outfit examples for inspiration how to mix prints and/or patterns to look effortlessly stylish. They are ordered by type so they are easy-to-recreate from your own closet.
Floral and stripes


Animal plus …
Animal print behaves like a neutral. Thus, it is the easiest to wear with other non-solid colored clothing. Wearing a multi-color around-the-knee length summer dress with leopard-print mules is foolproof. Think Rihanna.

Black layering top c/o Adea, own giraffe sweater with plaid skirt, Hermes collier de chien bangle, Gucci belt, GNW black tights (all own)

Stripes and plaid

Moda International bomber jacket, Burberry skirt, 3.1 Phillip Lim pashli, Cartier just un clou, Hermes collier de chien bangle, pearl necklace (all own), wooden sunglasses c/o Winkwood, top c/o Coolibar and Ivanka Trump pumps c/o Wikibuy
You can find more ideas how to style a pink plaid skirt at this link.
Floral and plaid


Stripes and polka dots

GNW polka dots cardigan, ethnic belt, Oliveo striped leather skirt, GNW tight, Jord bamboo watch (all own), Musse & Cloud booties c/o Coolway and best girlfriend bracelet c/o Chico’s
Polka dots with plaid


When you like these outfit ideas, please feel free to pin them to your own Pinterest board so your family and friends can see them too.
Camouflage plus others


Three and up
Going all the way donning more than two prints is high risk, high reward. Why? Because more than the match of two is difficult to pull off unless your way of dressing has an Eclectic Style attitude.
Women with a luxury Bohemian Style may also get away with multiple prints in one look. Note that the first mentioned style may convey the message “I don’t care about the rules.”, while the second may read poverty, when it goes wrong.

The above example outfit is grounded by white. It occurs in all pieces and the solid white pumps. Navy blue and white are both neutrals. Thus, they balance the abstract blossoms of the top.
Vintage coat, Asaarvi leather skirt, GNW Luxe wool cashmere sweater, scarf, GNW leopard tights, Fendi boots, Ray Ban sunglasses (all own) and bag c/o JORD
L.K. Bennett patent leather wedges, DIY skirt, Pineapple Moon Hawaiian blouse (all own)
Stripes, paisley and floral: Karl Jäger floral print with stripes dress, GNW paisley print cardigan worn as top and Apostrophe Mary-Janes (all own)
Camouflage pants c/o Femme Luxe with own GNW leopard cardigan, Pineapple Vintage top, smoky quartz necklace and earrings, Antonio Melani booties, Hermes collier de chien bangle, Festina watch
Same, but different size/color
This approach is relatively easy, but has great style impact.


What doesn’t work when mixing prints/patterns
Before I wrap up the most important points, let’s quickly review the most frequent fashion faux-pas. Make sure to avoid them when you adapt the trend.
- Stay away from animal prints in non-natural colors with solids and/or other prints. This means don’t fall for fantasy animal print.
- Furthermore, don’t pair prints or pattern of same size that have nothing in common, but the size.
- Also avoid to create outfits that look similar to a quilted bed throw, and
- anything too busy like hounds-tooth with polka dots of same size.
Wrapping up
Be creative, experiment. Try out everything with everything and go with what looks the best wrong. Make the mix the statement. When you liked these free tips tweet to your friends:
A must read. How to mix prints/patterns to look effortlessly stylish. #fashion Click To TweetHow do you mix and match your prints and patterns? Or do you wear just one print or pattern at a time? I’m just curious.
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Photos: G. Kramm
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