Mixing Tangerine Dots with Stripes

Hi everyone! Happy Monday!! I hope you had a great weekend! It has been such a busy weekend for me, as a result, I'm actually feeling a little tired, so Monday has been a bit of a slow start for me. I needed a new way to energise the day...solution? Tangerine! Well, maybe not eating one but dressing in that Spring fresh and vibrant colour sure did the job. Lately, I have been really into mixing various textures, colours, and particularly patterns together. So today, I tried mixing dots with stripes! 

Blouse: Asos (loving this); Skirt: Asos (similar, similar); Earrings: Gift; Necklace: Mimco; Shoes: Madden Girl

The dots on my blouse are not exactly your common polka dots (an example styled here) as they vary in size and dispersion pattern. These dots are sized and scattered rather randomly, but are nonetheless still a lot of fun to play with. The stripes on the skirt are also quite unique in that the solid stripes are combined with mesh stripes. At a distance, the mesh material looks almost invisible, creating the illusion that the solid stripes are floating in air =) 

Dots (polka dots or not) and stripes are a few of my favourite classic patterns of all time. Despite the fact that both have long histories, I like them because they are clean, crisp and timeless. So, can we mix the two patterns? The thought of doing this may raise some eye brows as they are contrasting patterns. However, just like mixing contrasting colours, patterns of this sort can also be successfully mixed. In fact, I have seen this winning combination both on the catwalks and on the streets. So, what is the trick to achieving a successful juxtaposition of prints? Make sure you take care in your colour selection of the two patterns and also ensure one print is of smaller scale than the other.

 Here are some additional tips in mixing patterns:

• Start with 2 patterns
• Don't be too ambitious and over-mix (I probably wouldn't go beyond 3 different patterned pieces)
• Try not to bring in too many colours and patterns all at the same time
• Make sure the colour of each pattern piece will work well together
• Try and introduce some neutral pieces into the mix (you will find that this usually provides more grounding to the unusual combination and keeps it from being too overwhelming)
• If you are a "mixer starter", I would avoid dizzy patterns such as swirls and zigzags
• Try the hard/soft rule: pairing a hard pattern (e.g., something graphic with sharp edges, like a stripe or check) with something more soft (e.g., organic shapes like circles and floral).

I also love this Mimco statement necklace that I have on. There is just so much detail, character and dimension to it. It is a true work of art and labour of love! This statement jewel piece is really unique and the best part of it is that it looks like a flower garden on my neckline! I am generally not a bug jewellery person, but the ladybug on the necklace looks so adorable. What an appropriate necklace given that we are heading towards winter and flowers are less abundant. It's nice to be reminded that they can still exist in full bloom =) 

Mixing patterns is definitely a lot of fun and also on trend this summer (to my Northern hemisphere friends). Practice with care and you will definitely enjoy the "fruitful" benefit!!

Blouse: Asos (loving this); 

Skirt: Asos (similar, similar); 

Earrings: Gift; 

Necklace: Mimco; 

Shoes: Madden Girl

Thank you so much for reading!
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