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Style Inspo: Print and Pattern Mixing

One of the styling techniques I love is print and pattern mixing. It can be challenging to come up with combinations that work well together but I do think that once you discover what works, it just puts your wardrobe to a whole new level. It can make styling outfits a lot more exciting! 

True, print and pattern mixing might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I love that you can play with patterns and colours to create many different looks using just a couple of pieces in your wardrobe. In fact, I can imagine that if you have the right pieces, it's still possible to mix and match prints and patterns within a capsule wardrobe. 

Here are a couple of my favorite print and pattern combos:

printed blazer and printed shorts

This is a perfect example of two patterns combined to create a cool, comfy, casual OOTD. It doesn't matter that the greens are not in the same shade, and that there is a presence of other colours or that the patterns are not identical. Because the blazer and the shorts both feature the color green, there is a common ground and the styling works beautifully! 

print on print outfit

Speaking of common ground, in this charming outfit, it's the colour purple in tones of plum, raisin, eggplant, and violet that pulls this outfit together. The blouse itself features print-mixing with florals over plaid but still complementing the polka-dotted skirt. The zebra print bag adds another dimension but notice how it is lined with purple as well.

stripes and patterns mix

This vibrant stripes and paisley number is by Etro from the Spring 2017 Milan Fashion Week. Another fab example of using colour as the common denominator. The green in each of these pieces unites the two patterns, even though the greens are in varying shades.

Gucci print and pattern mixing

Designer Alessandro Michele put together this amazing print-on-print-on-print ensemble for the Gucci Fall 2016 runway. No surprise here as we all know Gucci is famous for their phenomenal print and pattern mixing with just a bit of everything. You have the plaid, geometric design, fish scale pattern, with almost animal-print-like collar and necktie. A of course, those unmistakable Gucci signature green and red lines. Including the footwear, the entire look features a total of 6 different patterns!

I think what makes this ensemble work really well together despite the range of patterns is the harmony between the colours. We see browns in varying tones with accents of mustard, ochre, and butterscotch yellow. The blouse is green with just a bit of pink, which ties up perfectly with those green and red strips on the blazer's cuffs. Not everyone would feel comfortable strutting this style, but I do think it is a very wearable ensemble.

print and pattern mixing

In this outfit, both the blouse and pants feature circular patterns. The top has dainty dots and the bottom has a sort-of a bee-hive rounded pattern. The similarity also extends in the colors, with the pants combining pink against a navy blue backdrop, and the top is in a lighter shade of blue.

print on print on print style

Such a bright, whimsical styling from Stella Jean Spring 2014 RTW collection. The mismatched prints surprisingly look super adorable together, and frankly, it's quite difficult to pinpoint why! I guess it still comes down to the unifying colors - which in this case, there are two: orange and blue green. Also, the quirkiness of the prints (which I love!) from top to bottom pulls all the elements into that same cloud of happiness.

Which of these Print and Pattern Mixes Do You Like?

I hope you enjoyed looking at these inspirations. Do you like this type of styling? What is your favourite way to mix prints? 

If you're looking for more print and pattern mixing inspirations, my Pinterest Board is filled with tons of inspo for you.


Photo credits: Elle.us | Costume.dk | OliviaPalermo | Livingly | Lulalogy | NYmag

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