A Look to Look Into: Mixing Prints

The sweltering heat of New York City summers has arrived & I am sitting in my air conditioned office gazing longingly at the outdoors (I am a Florida native after all...sweltering heat is quite comfortable for me). The summer classics have returned: stripes, panama hats, tortoise sunglasses, white jeans, chambray shirts, & lightweight white button downs are all around me as I walk down the street on the weekends.

I am looking for something more exotic to match the tropical temperatures we are steadily marching towards but I am still a classic girl at heart. My initial thought was to wear one of my numerous St. James striped shirts for summer with a different print (or perhaps even a larger stripe) on the bottom. Then I remembered a print that I glimpsed a few weeks ago on Megan Draper during an episode of Mad Men (you know the one...when she pitched her Heinz Baked Beans idea to Don during At the Codfish Ball) & the possibilities for mixing prints suddenly seemed endless.

I did some research and found some highlights for your viewing pleasure:

The Fledgling Inspiration:

 Megan Draper's Skirt in Mad Men's Season 5 Episode At the Codfish Ball

 Audrey Tautou as Coco Chanel in Coco Avant Chanel

Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel is often credited with popularizing the striped shirt look so many of us elect to wear throughout the summer months. 

Print Safari:

 From the Blog HAPPILY GRAY

 From the Blog CUPCAKES & CASHMERE

Both of the Above Images from the ATLANTIC-PACIFIC Blog

 Scar Jo in Mixed Prints

Diane Kruger Mixing Stripes & Florals

 Anne Hathaway with a Casual Interpretation of Mixed Prints

 Olivia Palermo keeps it Simple on the Bottom & Mixed a Subtle Pattern with a Slightly More Intense Pattern on Top (Note that BOTH patterns are in contrasting by complimentary fabrics)

Emma Watson Gets into the Mix






How would you mix prints? I will try it out this weekend & report back (hopefully my camera will be back in action by then!)


And, as always, I will leave you with my favorite image &, in my opinion, an image of one of the masters at mixing patterns, Tory Burch: