Print mixing has a reputation for being risky, but it follows fairly simple rules. Once you know them, it becomes one of the easiest ways to make an outfit interesting.
These twenty guidelines take the guesswork out of wearing more than one pattern at a time.
1. Share One Colour
If both prints contain the same shade, they will read as intentional.
2. Vary The Scale
A large print with a small one works; two equal prints fight.
3. Stripes Are A Neutral
They combine with almost any other pattern.
4. Animal Print Is Also A Neutral
Leopard sits happily alongside florals and checks.
5. Separate With A Solid
A plain jacket between two prints calms everything.
6. Keep The Palette Tight
Two or three colours across both prints is plenty.
7. Try Polka Dots With Florals
A classic pairing that almost always works.
8. Check With Stripe
Geometric with geometric, differing in scale.
9. Use Accessories To Introduce Print
A scarf or bag is a low-risk starting point.
10. Balance Busy With Simple
A loud top deserves plain trousers.
11. Match The Mood
Delicate florals with delicate prints; bold with bold.
12. Repeat A Print In Accessories
Echoing it elsewhere ties the look together.
13. Start With Two, Not Three
Master pairs before attempting more.
14. Consider The Distance Between Them
Prints far apart on the body clash less.
15. Use Texture As A Third Element
Knit or denim between prints breaks them up.
16. Try Tonal Print Mixing
Two patterns in shades of one colour is the safest version.
17. Let One Dominate
A large print leading with a small one supporting.
18. Avoid Competing Focal Points
Two loud prints at the chest and hip pull the eye apart.
19. Photograph It Before Leaving
A camera shows clashing far more honestly than a mirror.
20. Commit To It
Half-hearted print mixing reads as accidental.
Start Small
Begin with a striped top and a floral skirt sharing one colour. Once that feels natural, everything else on this list becomes far less intimidating.
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