This week, IFB asked bloggers to post about our favorite prints. Since I’m already looking to ahead to fall (I know, I’m alone on this one!), I decided to focus on my favorite prints from the Fall 2013 runway shows. As someone who has a penchant for mixing prints, like leopard and stripes or florals and stripes (stripes are very versatile as you can tell), I’m excited to replace my dull monochrome coats for the trendy eye-catching prints of the upcoming season. I especially love this heart print coat from Burberry Prorsum, and the leopard print coats from DVF and Saint Laurent (see below). But back to the subject of how to pull off the mixed print look. Here are two ways to wear mixed prints this fall:
Same print mixing (e.g.: leopard + leopard; florals + florals). We saw a lot of examples of same print mixing on the runway. Rather than looking too matchy-matchy or busy, these ensembles are classy, sophisticated, and appropriate for everyday wear. How to wear: pair a larger print with a smaller print and/or invert the colors. In the examples from Diane von Furstenberg and Tory Burch, the larger prints are at the forefront of the outfit while the smaller prints blend in without vying for attention.
Mixing various prints (e.g.: leopard + florals). As I mentioned earlier, I am a huge fan of mixing different prints together. One rule to remember when mixing prints is that the colors must not clash. That doesn’t mean they need to be part of the same color family, but they must work together intuitively. How to wear: In the following example by Saint Laurent, both prints are small in scale, which prevents the 90-inspired grunge ensemble from appearing too busy. As you can see, the brown of the leopard coat complements the burgundy dress. In the second example from Anna Sui, the quirky outfit displays one print that is larger than the other but both share the same color scheme, thus tying the outfit together.
