Mix and Clash

There was a time when I never wore prints. My minimalist wardrobe was entirely made up of a small palette of solid colours: grey, white, blue, orange, red, purple and a little black. I relied on different textured fabrics for interest. Then I rediscovered my eccentric and eclectic roots and with them, prints.

When prints come back in a big way, fashion magazines love to tell us to be brave and mix them up, but, they caution, keep them in the same colour family. This is usually a good rule of thumb to mix and match by, but I like to style on a case-by-case basis, depending on my mood in the morning.

I love the subtle clash between patterns, unified by brown and cream.

I normally don’t like brown at all (see previous post), but I made an exception in the case of this bold brown and cream chevron print. I call it my Viennetta ice cream print dress. It’s so over-the-top that one hot day I decided to go one better, tying my hair back and wrapping it in a silk geometric print scarf. The little squares change from cream on a solid brown background to a cream background, with just one corner of the squares highlighted in brown (you can glimpse that section at the back of my neck). I love the subtle clash between patterns, unified by brown and cream.

In a twist on mix-and-clash, I matched these garments based on a circle motif, rather than a print. A favourite mauve silk blouse features a geometric print of circles made up from lines (I adore the pleated puff sleeves). The olive organza scarf is appliquéd with circles attached with tiny sequins, and this beloved wooden necklace is made up of interlocking circles.

With a world of interesting prints out there why stop at one?