Prints can be tricky! And not all of us are slim and tall. But that does not mean you can’t pull off wearing prints effortlessly! Here are some style guidelines when you’re thinking of adding prints to your looks.
Stripes
Stripes are a timeless print and a must-have-closet-essential. You only need to remember this; horizontal stripes will make things bigger, vertical stripes make things smaller, and diagonal stripes will do either or. With stripes you are playing with direction to illustrate your desired shape. Wear horizontal stripes on the areas where you would like to look bigger and wear vertical stripes on areas you would like to slim down. Expand into combination stripe patterns to really convey your desired silhouette. As in this pin-striped DKNY dress, add diagonal stripes into your combo to illustrate a curvier silhouette.
DKNY, Studio 189, Electric Feathers, Ports, LemLem, Duro Olowu
Block Repeat
Block repeats are great for every shape and size. Because the motif lays in an organized left to right direction equivalent both in distance and in size the work is already done for you. Remember, however, that in wearing block repeats the scale of the motif is very important. The larger the motif the larger those areas will appear. Use this to your advantage as well, as in Nyorh Agwe’s Raffia print combo, using small scale repeats to decrease and larger scale repeats to increase.
Lisa Folawiyo, Nyorh Agwe, Stella Jean, Maki Oh
Grand Scale
Panel Prints are a very fresh alternative to all-over print repeat. Because a panel print is simply a single enlarge image with no grid repeat, this means you must be smart with color and placement. Like in ChiChia London dress where a panel print that places brighter colors an areas you wish to accent and draw attention to and darker colors on areas you wish to appear more slimming.
Daniela Gregis, ChiChia London, Landre de Silva Ajayi, Sindiso Khumal
Opacity
If you are not into the print craze at all there is still a place for you! Try a print in a low opacity like this Mille Colline’s Cardigan in a subtle grey motif on white chiffon. Because opacity prints will always be in close coordination to the background color it will make it super easy to add into your closet without you having to re-adjust too much.
Sindiso Khumalo, Mille Collines, Sophie Zinga
