How to Pattern Mix Like a Pro

How to pattern mix like a pro didn't necessarily come easily to me!  I would have never thought about mixing my prints and patterns until I got involved in the fashion community on Instagram.  I learned there that it is fun and trendy!  It went against everything I was ever taught, so it took some teeth pulling, but I managed to slowly, but surely get into it.  Now it's a no brainer!  

So, if you are like I was, and need a little help or prodding, here are some tips!

Some prints are actually neutrals.  You can pair them with anything.  The two biggies would be leopard and camo.  Yes, they are a print, but the colors are actually very neutral and they look really good paired with each other or other more colorful prints!

Camo and leopard

 Leopard with black and white

Leopard with stripes

Leopard with floral

Don't freak out on me - camo, leopard and floral!

Another fun idea is to mix florals and gingham/plaid.  In doing this, I try to stick to the same color scheme.  

The floral shoes have white, pink and green, which match my pink gingham and green shorts.

Here I stuck with blue and white gingham with a red/white/blue skirt and neutral accessories.

A really easy mix is stripes and polka dots.  Go with the same colors and it is a no brainer!

Another fun mix is to pair stripes with stripes.  Again, it's good to stick with a similar color scheme.  It's also best to put a small stripe with a large stripe.

I chose very neutral accessories since I had some pretty busy prints here!

It's also fun to mix polka dots with plaid!  You'll see that again, I stuck with the same color scheme.  The polka dot sweater is basically a neutral here.

And of course, a little leopard is always fun!

Sometimes stripes can serve as a neutral as well, In this look I paired white/black stripes with a bright palm print!

Again, it's nice to pair neutral accessories when mixing prints like this.

Or you can go crazy and throw in more prints with your accessories!  This works, though, because the bag is the same black and white color scheme as the skirt.  And of course, leopard is a neutral, so the sandals work, too!

If you are still unsure, you can go with something mild, like mixing in a small pattern with your jewelry or purse.

Good luck and have fun mixing your prints!  I'd love to see what you come up with!  For more of my pattern mixing looks check out my Instagram feed!