Welcome to Planet MelMac!: Outfit: Mix & Match Prints

For those of you that are Pinterest'ers, I am sure you have come across Pins that show an outfit where contrasting prints are put together beautifully. I love Pinning those outfits because it looks so effortless and not too "matchy-matchy". However to actually put a mix and match pattern together can be a little tricky. You want to choose prints that would work without looking like you were dressed by a 2 year old. This being said, mixing prints can add fresh new options to your existing wardrobe and though it may seem out of your comfort zone at first, this can be a fun way to be creative with your clothes.

Here are a few guidelines to help you try out a mix & match print ensemble:

1) Make sure there is a anchor color - what I mean by this is having a color that ties the prints together. Like black does here:

Blazer: Le Chateau

Shirt: Urban Behavior

Pants: Dynamite

Necklace: Ardene (seen here)

2) You can mix similar prints (e.g. large dots with small dots) - this is a good option to ease into the mix and match thing. I love this look here (notice the anchor colors, yellow and black):

Photo source: bellanaija.com

3) Don't go too crazy - You still want to look put together, not sloppy. Don't go from one extreme to the other (see Jesse J below). It helps if your outfit is structured and not a flowy top with a flowy skirt for example.

Sorry SJP, flowy paired with flowy is a NO:

Photo source: glamour.com

Sorry Jesse J, no anchor color to tie these two patterns together. Come to think of it, I don't think even a "like color" could save a flannel and leopard combo!