We all know that nothing says summer like bold prints. From neon florals to grungy flannels, summer is the season where you have the most liberty to play around with color and prints. This rule especially applies on the weekends when you’re completely free to wear even the boldest of patterns to concerts, barbecues or the beach. But what about—and we’ve all had this moment—when you have five minutes to get ready and you can’t decide between a boho top or printed shorts? Your weekend will be defined by your outfit, and you’re forced to choose between two stellar pieces. Which will you choose?
This Fashionista’s answer to that question is both! And why not? She’s paired a bold white and navy nautical striped top with turquoise diamond patterned shorts—a risky move that pays off. Our Fashionista has chosen to pair her mixed prints with a throwback Casio watch from American Apparel and wrap sandals, further giving the look an overall casual, but not uninteresting, feel. It’s weekend-ready but still plenty put together.
How does this pattern mixing even work? Well, using a similar color palette in pairing the top and the shorts—dark navy, white and aqua—keeps the look’s balance. Both the top and the shorts have a white base and a hue of blue, but the blues are different enough shades to make the look fresh. Also, our Fashionista’s ingenious pairing of bigger, bolder nautical stripes draws our focus to her top. It’s all an optical illusion since the diamond prints look smaller and ultimately disappear from far away. So it’s only when we see the look from up close that we realize that she’s wearing two different prints! This Fashionista’s mixed patterns are definitely experimental enough for the weekend.
One Simple Change: To give the look a more boho, ethereal feel that’s perfect for your favorite local folk band’s concert and even works for brunch, simply take off the watch and swap the structured nautical top for a white crochet blouse.
