How to – Mixing Floral Prints

Yes, they told me, too: never mix different floral prints, because you’ll look like a crazy cat lady! Really, do you think so? Well, challenge accepted!

Yes, I was that good girl, too. Always wore my floral skirt with neutral shirts. Always wore my floral blouses with jeans or black pants. And when I once felt adventurous, I bought floral pants… and always wore them with a white button down shirt.

Then, last spring a miracle happened. Fashion gods suddenly started throwing florals at us. Blazers, shirts, skirts, pants, shoes, scarves, everything was floral. It was one big botanical melting pot of fashion. And I guess everyone suddenly felt compelled to use this flowery goodness all the way to the end. That’s how the art of mixing floral prints was born.

And a real art it is! But not too hard. If you are up for the challenge, if you want to become the city fairy enveloped in all kinds of flora, then read on. These are a few guidelines to help you avoid the crazy cat lady effect, and attract all the butterflies like the best of street style muses.

Scaling

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It is very important that you contrast the size of the print. If you have a big bold flowery print on top, decide on the smaller, delicate print on the skirt or pants, and vice versa. The smaller print will blend in and act as a solid color. If you go with the bold print from head to toe, you risk looking like a wallpaper. And if you go for a tiny print head to toe, I suppose you risk being attacked by a swarm of bees, or mistaken for a bed spread.

So, formula 1 is BIG + small.

Colors

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If you take a good look at your floral printed items you’ll notice that they have a dark, or light, base color or background. The trick is to contrast that base color, for example, light base on the blazer and dark on the shirt. This, again, is the key to avoid the upholstery/crazy neighbor looks. And with this in mind, you can use the same scale of print, just remember to contrast the base colors.

So, formula 2 is dark + light.

Fabric

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While mixing prints, try to avoid mixing fabrics and textures. Avoid mixing cotton with more luxurious materials like silk. It’s like using neutrals, if you go big with mixing one thing try to keep the other factors to a minimum. This will make what’s important, and that’s the prints to stand out.

So, formula 3 is cotton + cotton, silk + silk.

Finishing Touches

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When you master these three formulas, there are just two more little things to help you out on your way to become a master in mixing florals.

Neutral colors: in the case of mixing floral prints, even blocking colors can act as neutrals, but also the usual black or white. Use them to break up the patterns. You can wear a neutral cardigan, blazer or just a belt or a collar on the shirt.

Accessories: you can wear the accessories in a shade you have on your clothes or you can contrast the colors. You can try with neons or neutrals, but it’s best if you use blocking colors.

If you still do not feel confident in mixing floral prints, then pick a simpler floral dress and find out how to style it here. But if you feel that these basic rules are all you needed to know, then pick some flowers, take a good look in the mirror, wink, and strike a pose!

Cover photo: thefashionpixels.blogspot.com

About the author

Maria

I am a creative girl who loves her family, cats and books, and I am also a fashion addict. I can find inspiration in every corner of this world. I believe that the best ideas are simple and the hardest projects are easy with optimism and devotion.

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