Slowly but surely, I’ve been trying to add more ways to mix patterns and add more patterns to my wardrobe.  Boy did I pick a good time to give this a try because it’s ALL.OVER.THE.PLACE! Even my organizational go to, Real Simple has an article about it. Adding prints and mixing them up adds a new dimension to your closet. It can be as simple (just accessories) or as complex (full on outfits) as you want to make it.

Over the past couple of months I’ve tried some safe bets with patterns – chevron and stripes. Stripes and polka dots. Strips and floral. Most of the time this is just me adding a scarf to my outfit. That has been simple for me to get a hang of. With spring here and summer on the way, there’s more chance to mix full outfits. Here’s a few I’ve been eyeing:

Things I need to make these happen:

1. Embrace the preppy – gingham, polka dots, and nautical stripes are all key pieces to have to make mixing patterns a  breeze this summer.

2. Keep it neutral – A lot of good pairings work because one pattern is a neutral while the bigger pattern is a bolder color, allowing the eye to fixate on the important part of the outfit instead of getting confused by all of it.

3. Bigger isn’t always better – It’s the key to balance the patterns to make the outfit work. It’s best to have the more dominate pattern be bigger while the one that is the neutral color can be a smaller print.

I’ve got my eye on a couple of things. Can’t wait to show you what I come up with.