A certain style shift has taken place in the past few years. Along with the entry into the mainstream of Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj, and their crazy costumes and uninhibited demeanours, has come a not-so-subtle message: forget being refined and let loose. Crazy is the new cool. Fashion, too, has loosened up – you could argue that the act of wearing clashing prints is a by-product of this new-age cultural pull.
The clashing prints course is one I recently embarked on, and the craze is fast-catching. It’s hard to express on paper the joys of mixing print. How do I teach you how to team different patterns and how can I explain in words how marvellous the end result can be? Many can’t comprehend how mismatched clothing can possibly be a good thing. Then again, those are the same non-believers who told us not to wear ripped jeans, half untucked shirts or trainers with skirts.
It may look thoughtlessly thrown together and impulsive, but mixing prints is an art form – don’t assume you can just put anything together. Done right, it can look really cute, but done wrong, you can end up looking like a clown. To come across as effortlessly chic is something we all strive for, but style should never look wholly heedless. Hopefully these tips will help.
Designers-wise, Mary Katrantzou and Tata Naka are at the top of my list of labels offering an eyeful of spectacular prints, but there are plenty of options on the high street, too. The window displays of Topshop, River Island and Forever 21 are full of patterned pieces, from watercolour roses to bright Aztec motifs. Choose designs that you can mix and match with what’s already in your wardrobe.
If you’re feeling flirty and feminine, put a polka dot top with a floral skirt. Florals also are a great match with plaids, and with the go-to print of the season, gingham. For more of an artsy edge, wear pretty flowers with solid stripes and stark geometric prints, and throw in a pop of python for good measure.
Similar patterns can also be worn together for a more in-tune mixed-print look. Pair roses with daisies and vertical stripes with diagonal stripes, and play with scale and colour. I personally love a good monochrome mismatch. The print-mixing trend is especially fun in the summer, when shops offer an endless range of powerful patterns on light cotton materials. Look for a bold tapered trouser, a few button-down blouses and a variety of pencil skirts, along with a blazer or two, and get to outfit building. For brainstorming purposes, you’ll find Pinterest an invaluable tool.
You’ll probably love the feeling of combining clashing prints, and you can easily carry over the trend into autumn. According to what was shown on the catwalks, next season’s “in” prints take more of a tribal turn, with significantly less emphasis on floral themes. There’s also an air of sophistication to the ensembles, which seem to trade light-hearted energy for a more luxe and put-together vibe.
Haider Ackermann took leopard, plaid and checked prints, and achieved an upscale city-girl look combining them all together in black and white. Lanvin’s high-end hippie mixed-print look featured tribals and textures topped off with snakeskin boots. At Miu Miu, houndstooth tweeds, python leathers, embroidered knits and printed cottons were expertly clashed together in outfits that were topped off with oversized earrings and colour-block handbags. The outcome was quite inspiring – if the eccentric librarian or prairie-girl-gone-rogue looks appeal to you, that is.
