Mamma's got a brand new bag!
And I owe it to San Francisco, where life organically unfolds allowing us to adjust our lens accordingly. Take prints for example, which I have rarely favored over solids. Now I make it a point not just to wear them but to mix them too. And while there is an art to it, I have nailed it down to these simple tricks. Give it a try, you just might shed your solid skin in favor of a more playful one...and be on trend to boot!
- Get inspired. The pros have been doing this for eons. Isabel Marant, Etro, Diane von Furstenberg, and Dolce & Gabbana are among my favorite designers who share an affinity for prints and are brilliant at weaving them together in a single piece of clothing or with other printed pieces. Discover what your comfort zone is and morph from there.
- Stay within a color scheme. Mix prints in the same tonal family. The DVF ensemble below is a great example. Elegant meets chic with a touch of whimsy.
- Bring on the stripes! They complement other prints effortlessly, especially florals. Check out Heidi Klum's striped top and gorgeous Dolce & Gabbana number below.
- Contrast large prints with smaller ones. Some stylists differ with me on this one but I feel that too many prints of the same size can be jarring.
- Pinpoint a mood. While more difficult to do well, combining prints that share a certain feel can be very rewarding, like infusing an ethereal watercolor print with large whimsical circles or a herringbone pattern with an animal print.
- Spotlight a single piece. Showcasing a dramatic print can be achieved by mixing it with a smaller, repetitive pattern. I have discovered that the latter acts like a solid against the bold centerpiece (that's why stripes are a good way to ease into mixing.)
