The Art of Mixing Patterns

When I first saw this look in Talbots Spring 2013 Look Book, I immediately fell in love. I knew that this entire look was going to be a must have for me. Now, you are probably wondering if I truly would wear it this way. My answer to that is ABSOLUTELY! Now, this look may not work for everyone. You may not be the pattern mixing kind. I feel that it does work though. The materials are cotton on both garments, and the fact that she has accessorized with the gold bracelets which then reflect on the gold flower centers in the skirt. It would be reallllly cute if one of her bracelets were actually gold flowers. I am in LOVE with the little lady bug clutch bag too. We cannot see the shoes that the stylist chose to go with this look, but I personally would wear nude pumps and bare legs. However, I would also wear this skirt now pairing it with a black turtleneck, tucked in nice and smooth, black opaque tights and some sleek black knee high boots.

This is the same blouse worn with a pair of white jeans. Very cute. This look is safe. But you know how I feel about playing it safe in fashion. Boring! I like to liven things up once in a while. Don't get me wrong though. Safe can be uh..........safe :)

 Here is a similar example of when mixing patterns works. This is an outfit I wore last summer. I got the idea once again, from Talbots. This time it was on their blog titled Seeking Chic. Both the top and the bottom have matching color schemes, but the blouse has a small flower pattern and the skirt a bigger flower pattern. They are also similar fabrics. The lighter color is worn on top and the darker on the bottom. If the darker color was worn on top and the lighter color was on the bottom, this may have been a miss. But because it was worn in the right order and proportion, it was a hit! I realize that not everyone would wear this type of look, but I hope to help you realize when it actually works. It's all in the way it flows and if it is pleasing to the eye.

Please e mail me at laurasstyle@hotmail.com if you have any questions about the art of mixing patterns. I would love to hear from you!