Happy Wednesday! Ooh, look at me all perky! I actually got OUTSIDE this afternoon and it was a beautiful day. I guess I needed a little of that. Or, to be more honest, my joy is probably mostly brought on by the fact that I got a big ‘ol tub of chicken from KFC’s drive-thru and now I don’t have to make food the rest of the week…cuz BOY does THAT get old fast!!!

Okay, so today I’m talking (once again) about pattern mixing. Jodie and I did another Wear It Wednesday style session on IGTV and I uploaded mine to YouTube as well, which you can see below (8-minute video).

I gave four (not three, as I kept saying in the video #quarantinebrain) examples with different outfits from my closet. I love pattern mixing…I just don’t have that much pattern or print in my closet!

So, Outfit #1 is what I consider the simplest of pattern mixing, and that is stripes and anything else. I really consider a striped shirt (or dress) to be the same as a solid, it’s just a more visually interesting solid. Stripes and a floral, or a gingham, plaid, geometric, even a wider stripe, easy. What you want to look for is a color that’s in each one to tie them together. In the case of the striped tee and the floral kimono, black is the common color.

Outfit #2 is a pretty easy mix also…a 2-color item with a multi-color item…and even easier because one of the colors in both is white. Ha, am I making any sense? This outfit is a good example of why I think scale is not as important as I often read it is when pattern mixing. The floral on the dress is a much smaller scale pattern than the plaid on the shirt. But I like it! And ultimately, that’s really what it all comes down to – Do YOU Like It? These are just guidelines to start out with. But once you get a little practice and confidence, feel free to break the rules and do and wear whatever you want!

Outfit #3 is maybe more complex because it’s a random-patterned multicolor floral (dress) with a random-patterned 2-color animal print (cardigan). I say “random-patterned” as opposed to an orderly geometric, like stripes or gingham or a regular repeat (like the dress in Outfit #4). And this outfit is a good example of matching up tones vs. just straight color. Yes, both items have black in them and that’s a good pairing, but they also both have warm tones in them – the background of the leopard print, and the flowers in the dress. They’re not the same colors exactly, but the tones are all warm.

And lastly, Outfit #4 is another geometric with a plaid. And the blues in both items are not exactly the same, but they look nice together. You don’t have to match colors necessarily…but the colors should complement one another. OR, if it’s more your jam, intentionally clash with one another – like a red and white striped tee with a pink and orange floral skirt!

Another tip from this outfit is this: if you’re just venturing into pattern mixing, a printed scarf is an easy first step. It’s just a small piece of fabric, it doesn’t grab as much visual attention as a dress or a pair of pants.

Also, if you’re feeling a little unsure about all the patterns you’re wearing, then put on one solid-colored thing: a denim jacket or blazer or cardigan. Something that will cut down on all the pattern and give the eye a place to rest.

Here are a few other examples of pattern mixing from the past few months…

Polka dots and stripes.

Stripes and floral.

Floral and plaid. And leopard!

Leopard and stripes.

Do you enjoy pattern mixing? I sort of think it like decorating a room in a house (striped curtains, floral sofa cushions, tone-on-tone striped sofa, etc), but on your body!

I hope you’ll take a look at the video and leave a thumbs up on it if you like it!