You Want Me to Wear What?  

I remember at the age of 9, my inner fashionista paired plaid shorts with a floral-printed shirt. I felt great in the combo, just fabulous, but then my grandmother patiently informed me that printed tops belong with solid, same-color bottoms.  This norm was further forged growing up in “Middle America,” with the only revision to the rule being jeans counted as the infallible "solid color" pant-wear to dress in daily. But now as I type, 15 years later, wearing a bright, neon yellow pencil skirt with a floral top in sky blue, I know the matching-solid-with-a-print rule IS NOT enforced on the runway, nor should it be in my wardrobe. I’ve noticed three striking, common, designer combinations you may want to consider:

The Mix-Match

 Mono-color Separates

The Off -color Match-up

All of which, sadly,don't step off the runway into my world hardly enough.

The Look:

The Mix-Match: 

I noticed a TJ Maxx add yesterday where the model wore navy tribal printed pants and a turquoise and crème striped shirt. It seems as if mixing prints is hitting mainstream America. Although it is the modern style, something that will probably separate this decade from the last, mixing prints is definitely not new to the runways. In fall 2000, Prada, Dolce & Gabanna, and Fendi all sported clothing mish mashes, just to name a few.

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Fendi fall 2000

I will say though, fashion has become a lot edgier in recent years, particularly in mixing prints. Just look at Marc Jacob’s fall 2000 show, compared to his fall 2012. It’s a great example of fashion becoming funkier with coordination as of late.

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Mar Jacobs fall 2000

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Marc Jacobs fall 2012

Tip: Start by mixing prints in the same color family, and sizing scheme. So, for example, if you have a skirt with small polka dots in red and white, opt for a top with small floral print, as opposed to larger, in a red and white. Think Stella McCartney for spring 2012.
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Stella McCartney spring 2012

The Look:

Mono-color separates:

This look simply consists of a top and bottom in the same color. The first thing that comes to mind is Blumarine Fall 2011, when Anna Molinari sent out a pair of sexy purple trousers topped with a purple turtleneck. By the time the yellow and orange renditions strutted out, this color on color pairing seemed so right, but still, so wrong? It’s just that I never see anyone wear this! When I speak for myself, my instincts say, ‘All the same color? Boring!  Where is the fun?’  And of course, that grandmother figure is still in my head, shaking her own disapproving head. But the result is bold, not boring, and oh so chic! Sometimes minimal creates the most appeal.  (Don’t believe me; check out Calvin Klein, the epitome of minimal cool, any season! But for spring ’12, Calvin Klein's Francisco Costa sent out a slew of one-tone match ups for your fancy).

Tip: Try contrasting fabrics when you're not contrasting with color.


Calvin Klein spring 2012

Tip: Stick to long, slimming cuts because they, along with the mono-tone, elongate your body.

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Blumarine fall 2011

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Bluamrine fall 2011

The Look:

The Off-Color Match Up

 Sometimes, however, a solid color with a print is effective, but perhaps , the combo packs the most heat when the solid color doesn’t match the color of the print exactly. Furthermore, two completely different colors can create a very pleasing aesthetic. My personal fav is blue and yellow, indicated by what I’m wearing and mentioned earlier. A favorite of the fall ’12 runway was pink and red, seen at Dior, and Dries von Furstenberg.
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Dior fall 2012

Tip: Take a color from a print and then pair it with a solid tone in the same color family, seen here with the darker and lighter shades of pink by Balenciaga Fall 2012.  It’s more chic than a dead on match.

Balenciaga fall 2012

And sometimes, the traditional pairing of a print with a matching color just works. I absolutely adore Chanel's matching line-up for fall 2012. I guess rules are meant to be broken, but not all the time.




Chanel fall 2012

Chanel fall 2012