One of the questions that I get asked all the time is how do you mix patterns? Pattern mixing is a struggle for many women.

The truth is, some women don’t know what patterns to mix, some grew up in an era where patterns just weren’t put together, and some aren’t ready to get out of their comfort zones. Here are five tips to help you get started with pattern mixing.

Pattern Mixing 101

1. Start pattern mixing by replacing your solid with a pattern

First, you can start pattern mixing by replacing a solid with a pattern. For beginners, it’s usually easiest to match stripes and solids.

I love to pair a black and white stripe with a gorgeous floral since it’s simple and looks great.

Here are some other patterns that match up well together – stripes and herringbone, plaid and paisley, stripes and polka dots, camo and floral, plaid and stripes. These combinations give you a great start to your pattern mixing!

2. Choose patterns with a unified color

The next thing to remember when mixing patterns is that the two patterns should have a unifying color. If you’re wearing a skirt (like the LuLaRoe Cassie skirt) with navy and royal blue stripes you’d want your floral top (like the LuLaRoe Perfect tee) to have either the navy or royal blue in the floral pattern.

When you’re starting out you want to look for patterns with only one unified color because it simplifies pattern mixing. As you advance in your pattern mixing skills, you can add a secondary color.

3. Leopard is neutral

Leopard is considered a neutral pattern. Neutral patterns also include stripes and polka dots. You can comfortably wear a neutral pattern with another pattern.

You’ll find that black and white stripes become a neutral pattern in your wardrobe. You can easily pair them with other patterns or colors.

You’ll see that you can sneak a bit of leopard into any outfit – throw on some leopard heels or grab that gorgeous leopard print hidden in the back of your closet.

4. Pay attention to the scale

No, we’re not talking about weight loss, I mean the size of your prints. Pairing a small floral skirt with big stripes is an excellent example of pattern mixing.

You can also mix the same pattern with two different scales. One of my favorite outfits is a black and white polka dot LuLaRoe Classic Tee that has large polka dots paired with a black and white LuLaRoe Madison Skirt that has small polka dots. A

larger pattern will stand out more so keep that in mind as you’re choosing your patterns especially if you don’t want to accentuate a particular part of your body.

5. There are no rules but don’t go overboard

Fashion and pattern mixing above all are about making you feel good. If you love a pattern combination, I say go for it.

If it feels right and you like how you look in the mirror then wear it. You can ask a friend, see what they say.

What’s your favorite pattern mixing outfit? Drop me a message or head over to our group and discuss there.