Pattern mixing… oh my!
Hey there, ladies. My name is Diana. (You may call me Wonder Woman… I do not mind.) I am a K4 teacher, an Air Force wife, a mother of a crazy 7 year old boy, a JV cheer coach and a youth leader’s wife… I love (live in??) chaos! I have always had an interest in fashion, but I was always too afraid to take the plunge and learn to sew until almost a year ago when a friend showed me how easy it all really was… needless to say I was hooked and thanks to all the beautiful and easy to follow patterns from Ellie and Mac, here I am!! Ok, ok… enough about me. I am here to talk about this scary thing called “Pattern Mixing.” I love to express myself through clothing, and pattern mixing is such a fun way to do so, but I, like many others, don’t really want to end up looking like I belong at a circus. (Well, maybe I do sometimes… after all I am a K4 teacher…) So, I have a few basic points I take into consideration when I’m deciding on a match, and here they are for you!
Dominating print- Find a print you love and make it the focal point, work with that print, then bring in some smaller prints to use as accents. Let the main print be the bride and just add some bridesmaids. If you pick a full floral, go ahead and add some stripes or polka dots. You can always add a smaller floral pattern to the mix, but don’t try to have the patterns fight each other… unless you are confident you can get out of that alive.
Stay in the same color family- Find a color you like in a print, and tie in another print with the same color in it. I am a sucker for all things black and white, but, alas, we need some color in our lives to brighten our day. If you are stuck, usually most fabric stores will put coordinating colors in the same section. Start there!!
Add a solid to break up prints- Use a solid color fabric to break up different patterns. When in doubt, put a solid colored sweater or jacket over the pattern, and cover part of it up, so it’s not so overwhelming.
Play with texture and print size- Leather, lace, chambray, or denim will add texture to an outfit and count as a print.
Womes's Beach Dreaming Top Women's True Beauty- skirt
Play with different geometric shapes- You can play with circles, triangles… you get the idea… but always remember to coordinate colors.
Use accessories- One of the most important parts of making an outfit work is having the right accessories… for real, an accessory can make or break an outfit. Use a belt, some patterned shoes, or a necklace that coordinates.. lots of bracelets, chunky rings... The sky’s the limit when it comes to accessories, but be careful the accessories do not take over the outfit… If you have a loud pattern, don’t fight it with a loud accessory. They should be a background.
Use stripes as solids- A black and white stripe goes with pretty much anything… so, if you don’t know where to begin.. here it is! When using colored stripes, remember to keep it in the color family!
Women's Half Pipe Tee Women's Free Spirit Kimono
When in doubt- Polka dots, stripes and leopard prints always look amazing together, and Pinterest is a great friend when searching for good pattern combinations.
Women's Dashing Dress Women's Discoverer Tee
Last but not least- Have fun, do you, be confident, and be happy about what you are wearing. If others can see your confidence, what you are wearing won’t matter!
I hope you enjoyed this blog, please follow me on Instagram @ Eloise & Ezra Co. and on Facebook @ Crafty Creations/ Eloise & Ezra Co.
All pattern links are Affiliate Links.
Fabric from:
Knitpop- Aff link- http://bit.ly/2IY4ntQ
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