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A Beginner's Guide to Mixing Prints

November 25, 2020

Photo by Mike Von on Unsplash

Are you on the struggle-bus each morning, trying to work out how to match your striped sweatpants with your hoodie from your high school synchronized swimming team so you feel comfortable yet polished enough to call yourself a human being?

Yeah. I was there once too.

Let me tell you the story of how I went from being a plain Jane, wearing all black most days, to finding joy each morning as I mix prints and textures for outfits that are comfortable and make me feel exactly like me.

The year was 2014.  Or was it 2013?  Yeah, it was somewhere around then.  I remember distinctly seeing a woman wearing this striking outfit of head-to-toe, uneven dots.  It was like a dot within a dot, and a bit misshapen, which made it look artisanal and interesting.  I loved it.  She looked captivating but not distracting. 

My eyes weren’t drawn to a weirdly colored neon belt or some super bright accent shoes, they were drawn to her.

I immediately complimented her on her outfit, assuming it was a jumpsuit or a dress, and she responded, “Thank you! I had this top and pant that are both in the same print, and on a whim decided to pair them together!”

Mind blown. Okay, maybe I’m being a little over dramatic. But this one interaction DID forever change the way I dress, so maybe not?

This interaction sparked something in me.  I decided to reorganize my closet (by outfit! Not the Marie Kondo way) to help me find creative ways to wear what I already owned.  By organizing my clothing in a new way and seeing my clothes as ingredients in an outfit-recipe, I was able to actually get rid of more because, for the first time, I was able to see if each of my apparel items were actually contributing something unique.

So, where to begin, you ask?

The secret to mixing prints begins here:  start with monochromatic or tonal prints (aka- same color, different shades).

Yeah. You heard me right.  Don’t go all in mixing cheetah with florals.  Start small, and pick one color (plus a neutral) and go to town.  

Another tip? Start small.  Just like that old phrase, “good things come in small packages,” this is true for prints too! The smaller the print the less aggressive it will be to the eye and the easier it will be to pair it with another print.    

You could even begin by wearing same or similar colors together.  A red belt draws the eyes to your belt.  A red outfit will draw the eyes to YOU!

Photo by Laurent Peignault on Unsplash

Photo by Laurent Peignault on Unsplash

(And now I find myself pondering on why Santa has chosen to wear his signature red & white outfit all these years… it’s all adding up now…)

If I learned one thing from my B.F.A in Theater, Design & Production from the University of Michigan, it was to always remember where you were trying to draw focus.  Typically, a great outfit would draw the eyes to the face, but you can have other points of focus too.  For example, a tutu donned by a ballerina is intended to draw the eyes to their beautifully toned and dancing legs.  Ballerinas simultaneously use their arms to create framing around their face.   In short throwing a lot of loud and aggressive prints into one outfit only distracts from the person wearing that outfit rather than bringing focus to them.   I would argue, even a contrast belt that is *too* contrasting can deter from the focus of the outfit (unless you are really digging that belt and you want all eyes on it!).

So, this holiday season, if you’re wondering what festive, athleisure outfit to adorn as you Zoom with your family and friends,

I created a Beginner’s Guide to Print Mixing Pinterest Board to help you get the ball rolling.

I hope this inspires you to not just put on clothes each morning, but to wear something that brings you true delight this holiday season. I think we could all use a little more of that this year.

Photo by Caleb Woods on Unsplash

Photo by Caleb Woods on Unsplash

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