If mixing prints and patterns seems no less than rocket science to you, then trust us, you’ve been doing your mix and match fashion wrong all this while. We wouldn’t deny, pairing different items from your closet is one of the most adventurous challenges of fashion, but it’s a lot easier to pull off than how it looks. Of all the rules fashion has, you must follow just one – there are NO rules!
With a few basic tips, you can ace the art of mixing and matching like a pro. So ladies, follow these tricks and let’s give you one more skill to boast. Make the most of your closet and go ahead, have fun mixing and matching!
Know Your Tool: Colour Wheel
Before we move forward, the colour wheel is one tool that will help you slay the art of mixing and matching. It will help you get a better understanding of colour patterns and terms like complementary colours and tones. Colours that lie directly opposite each other on the colour wheel complement each other best.
1. Use Prints Of Different Sizes
This rule simply means that you should balance out the size of prints and patterns throughout your outfit. If you plan to wear a small and less dense print on the top, go for a little bigger or more dense print on the bottoms. Variation in the size of the prints, throughout the outfit will make it look well put together.
2. Balance It Out With Solids
If you are a beginner, this is probably the safest option to start. Choose a print and pair it up with a solid neutral colour from the outfit or a contrasting one. While beginners can stick to basic colours like black, beige, blue and grey, experimenters should try solid colours in contrasting and brighter tones. For example- Black and white stripes with solid red.
Also read: 11 Super Cute Fashion Trends – Perfect For The College Girl!
3. Pair Complementary Colours
*Refer to the colour wheel
Refer to the colour wheel to find your complementary colours. Colours that appear right opposite to each other on the wheel qualify as complementary colours. For example, black and white, red and blues. These colours look great together. Every colour has a complementary colour. To make it more fun, play with the hues.
4. Family Be The Best
Another way to mixing colours as well as prints efficiently is to keep it within the family. Always pair colours of the same tone together. This is how it goes:
a) Pair jewel tones with other jewel ones- emerald, ruby, sapphire and so on.
b) Pastels with pastels
c) Earth tones with earth ones- Green, browns, olives etc.
5. Know Your Neutrals
Just like some colours are treated as neutrals, so are some of the prints. In the world of mixing, stripes, polka dots, florals and leopard prints are known as basics. They have the potential of bringing together an outfit and can also be safely paired together. When in doubt, try pairing neutral prints together to play safe. They will never fail you.
6. Play With One Pattern In Different Sizes Or Alignment
One pattern in different sizes will pair well together, regardless of the colour scheme. For example, try wearing horizontal stripes with vertical ones, or vertical ones with more spaced out vertical stripes.
You can also try the Inverse colour rule. For example, if you want to wear the same print throughout the outfit, inverse the print colours. Eg. If you are wearing black stripes on white as the top, then invert the colour scheme and wear white stripes on black for the bottom.
7. Match At Least One Colour
When mixing prints, pick two prints that share a similar colour. It will set a neutral base for the entire outfit and will help in pulling the outfit together.
8. Give Ombre A try
*Refer to the colour wheel
Ombre is the concept of gradually mixing a colour hue with the other. Different shades of the same color or similar colors almost always look good together (Think of red and pink). You can use this concept to build an amazing outfit. Refer to the colour wheel and choose a shade, now try incorporating varied tones of the same colour or the ones right next to it. (Example- Pink, Red and Orange)
Also read: 7 Retro Trends That Are SO Fashionable Today!!
9. Match Colours Not Prints
The key is to match the colours of the outfit first, the rest will fall in place automatically. Choose prints that have at least one common colour.
10. Belt To Break The Pattern
You can easily break up a monotonous print with a belt in a bright colour or even in some other print.
11. Scatter Your Print
Do NOT wear too many prints at the same time because that puts you on the risk of looking cluttered and all over the place. The key is to scatter your print to make it look even. For example, if you are wearing a bold or an overwhelming print on the top, pair it up with neutral bottoms and again use print on your footwear or bag. That will pull the look together without making you look overwhelming.
Images: Shutterstock
