Mixing Prints

There are some people who can take a few pieces of printed clothing that seem to have nothing in common and combine them to create a stunning and chic look.

I am not one of those people.

Rather, I approach prints with a certain amount of caution. People tend to notice you anyway when you’re nearly six feet tall. A little bit of print is certain to liven up a drab outfit, but too many might overwhelm innocent onlookers.

Still, I love the mixed print look, and I’ve really been wanting to try to find a way to wear it that doesn’t make me feel silly.  I picked up this skirt a couple summers ago at Ross (dress for less!).  The scarf was found on sale this fall. (How could I say “no”? It was calling to me and there was a stray $20 in my wallet, just begging to be spent.)  This weekend we had one of our notorious L.A. heat waves, probably the first of many this year, and I needed to wear something lightweight and cool. A floaty cotton skirt and sheer woven blouse are pleasant when the thermometer goes way above 80 degrees.  As soon as I finished dressing I thought “Oh, maybe this would look good with my new scarf.”  And so it does.

I think the reason they work together is because the two prints both consist of relatively large, swirly, floral motifs and include a lot of black.  To tie the look together I added a skinny orange belt, black sandals, coral lipstick and some sparkly warm nude nail polish on my toes.  (What can I say? I design dolls for a living.  I can’t help but put a bit of matchy-matchy in every outfit!)

A truly inspired fashionista would have included another couple of prints I’m sure.  I feel like I’ve cheated by simply adding a printed scarf to an otherwise simple ensemble.  But it’s a start, yes?

White Shirt – Muriel Brandolini (A hand-me-down from my friend Ann Driskill)

Print Skirt – Studio Wear

Scarf – Tarnish

Shoes – Nine West

Orange Belt – Target

How do you incorporate more than one print into your outfits?  Is this something you do regularily? Any tips for those of us uneducated in print mixing?