Make A Look Your Own With Mismatched Prints

Great style is very’much about personality, so mismatched prints are a great way to inject a strong sense of yourself into a look. Here’s how the fashion front row make pattern work.

I love how this fashion maven has contrasted army-style?camouflage with feminine lace. But what’s really clever is how she’s used this utilitarian fabric within a beautifully feminine silhouette – the jacket has a belted waist, fluted sleeves and an elegant V-shaped neckline. The mix of patterns works because tonally, the outfit is?tight. The black stripe on both her’skirt and shoes reflects the black in the jacket, all of which is anchored by an oversized black clutch bag.

Again, keeping to one colourway makes mixing up prints a lot easier. This outfit could easily overwhelm the wearer given the full-length skirt and oversized sweater, but in fact it looks completely coherent and elongates her body.

Mixing a modern graphic print with florals is a really fresh way to individualise your look. Choosing a handbag with a classic monogram, as this street style star has, keeps the focus on her bold two-piece and doesn’t distract.

Building an outfit around mismatched prints doesn’t mean you have to go head to toe with them. This eclectic dresser has mixed up leopard print, zebra stripes and a graphic leaf motif, but she has framed?her?look around?a pair of classic black culottes (although in patent for added interest). The (comparatively) understated culottes give the prints room to breathe and prevent the outfit from looking too chaotic.