Fall 2014 Trend Alert: Prints!

Prints are one of the coolest, most creative ways to stay on top of fashion trends! This is largely due to the fact that they NEVER go out of style. You can incorporate a print into one piece of your outfit or dare yourself to incorporate multiple prints into your look! Sure, one print may reign supreme for each season but no print is totally out of the question for any part of the year! You can go classic with prints like houndstooth, stripes and polka dots or go wild with animal, aztec and floral prints! It’s all up to you and none of it is off limits!

Every year, you’ll see a particular print in retail stores more often than the rest. Last winter, it was paisley. This summer, it was plaid. Fall 2014? Well, pick a print and wear it well. You’ll look chic and edgy no matter what because they were one of the dominating looks on Fall 2014 runways! I’ve pulled together two great looks to show you how to incorporate a classic print into your wardrobe for fall and then show you how to mix prints with that same item! Check them out:

1. Stripes:

I bet you didn’t think stripes and animal print could live together in perfect harmony, huh? The striped look on the left features a more grungy look created by the red Doc Marten boots and denim jacket! This same striped shirt looks great with a cheetah pencil skirt. The ensemble maintains a similar color scheme with red pumps more suited for the evening. The black cross-body purse crosses over well with both looks! Head out with your grungy look during the day, then step out in your heels for the night!

2. Paisley and Florals

A floral and paisley combination is pretty unexpected but it can be mastered, as you see here! If you’re going to wear the paisley print alone, it’s pretty easy to do– particularly with additional outerwear in bold colors! That royal blue is super electrifying and fun! When mixing prints, I’d take out the blue jacket so that you don’t have too many dynamics going on at once. You want to look like a party for the eyes, NOT a visual pile-up during rush hour.

Adding in a printed accessory into the mix is one of the easiest ways to blend prints because unattached accessories keep things from clashing! One minute, you’ll be holding your clutch beside you and the next, you could be holding it up at your chest. The floral clutch incorporates the splash of color we lose when we replace the blue jacket. The rose pink is subtle enough to look great with the paisley dress.

Here are  a few rules of thumb for walking out the print trend the right way:

1. No more than 2 prints to start yourself off.

2. Always incorporate a solid somewhere in your look. If your top and bottom are printed (i.e. the striped look), then your shoes and other accessories need to be solid.

3. Keep a color scheme going across prints and they’ll melt into one another flawlessly.

Mixing prints can be a visual love story or walking tragedy! The only way to master this awesome fashion trend is to try it out! I suggest you start with the simple striped/cheetah print mix and gradually transition into mixing more advanced prints like the paisley and floral look!

Enjoy your experiment! After all, fashion without fun isn’t fashion at all! Mix away!