cupcakes and the cosmos
Spring Fashion STYLE

How To Mix Patterns This Spring

Happy day, friends! Today I’m mixing it up a bit (quite literally!) with a little springtime pattern mixing.

How to Mix Patterns for Springtime | www.cupcakesandthecosmos.comPattern mixing is something I love but don’t do quite often enough. It’s such a simple way to mix up the pieces you already own into a totally new outfit creation. It’s typically something I do when I’m feeling uninspired by my wardrobe or simply want to accentuate a particularly fun, bold print. (As was the case with this stunning floral top!)

While I think there are several ways to pull of pattern mixing, I wanted to share with you some of my tips on how to put together the perfectly curated outfit.

How to Mix Patterns for Springtime | www.cupcakesandthecosmos.com

ONE // Firstly, decide which print you want to dominate the ensemble and which you want to act as an accent. For this outfit, it was pretty clear that the bold floral top would be my center piece.

TWO // Next, keep all of your pieces in the same color family. For my look here, I kept everything on a mostly white fabric with black and navy accents.

How to Mix Patterns for Springtime | www.cupcakesandthecosmos.com

How to Mix Patterns for Springtime | www.cupcakesandthecosmos.com

THREE // Pair neutral prints with colorful prints. Pairing a relatively neutral skirt with the bright colors of the top really makes the floral print pop!

FOUR // Don’t be afraid to mix up scales of prints. Here, I went with a larger floral print for my top and a smaller dotted print for my skirt.

How to Mix Patterns for Springtime | www.cupcakesandthecosmos.com

How to Mix Patterns for Springtime | www.cupcakesandthecosmos.com

FIVE // Break up prints with a belt for a more cohesive look. Here, I’ve used a simple black belt as a divider between the two different prints.

SIX // Pick prints that share colors. In this case, my clutch and skirt are very closely-matched in color and so pair super well together! For a more general case, chose fabrics that share a single color–like the light blue in this seersucker skirt and this floral button-up.

How to Mix Patterns for Springtime | www.cupcakesandthecosmos.com

How to Mix Patterns for Springtime | www.cupcakesandthecosmos.com

SEVEN // Treat stripes as a neutral. I do this on the regular (here, here, here), and it’s no different for this case. If I have a louder statement outfit, I generally pair it with a more neutral clutch. Here, I’ve chosen that neutral to be a striped clutch. As an example for an outfit, I’d pair this bright paisley skirt with this basic striped tee, or this striped skirt with this dotted top.

EIGHT // When in doubt, stripes and polka dots always work together. Like #7 mentions above, I consider stripes and polka dots to be neutrals, as they pair with just about everything–even each other! You really can’t go wrong here. Love this polka dot cami with this emerald green skirt (the color in-person is stunning.)

How to Mix Patterns for Springtime | www.cupcakesandthecosmos.com

How to Mix Patterns for Springtime | www.cupcakesandthecosmos.com

How to Mix Patterns for Springtime | www.cupcakesandthecosmos.com

What about you? What are your favorite style tips for pattern mixing this spring?

How to Mix Patterns for Springtime | www.cupcakesandthecosmos.com

Photos by Outside Ourselves

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Get the Look…

Top: Express (similar here, here, here) | Skirt: Who What Wear | Belt: Express (similar) | Heels: J. Crew Factory | Clutch: J. Crew | Necklace: J. Crew Factory (similar) | LipsClinique (grandest grape)

 

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