How To Mix Prints
Mixing Prints Without the Meltdown: How to Do It (and Why It’s Not as Scary as You Think)
Prints can be intimidating on their own, so it's no surprise that the thought of wearing two or more together sends many women into a full-blown style spiral.
But mixing prints doesn’t have to feel like a fashion risk.
In fact, it’s one of the best ways to bring playfulness, personality, and polish into your wardrobe and home.
The secret?
It all comes down to common threads, either colour or print style.
Let’s break it down, shall we?
Find What Links the Prints Together.
The easiest entry point to mixing prints is to look for two colours in common between the pieces.
This keeps things visually cohesive even if the designs themselves are different.
For example, in the image below (from 2015!), I'm wearing a striped tee with a watercolour print scarf.
Two very different prints, but the trick is, they both share blush pink and charcoal tones. That colour connection instantly brings harmony.
If you’re feeling a bit braver, play with opposing designs. Stripes vs swirls, geometric vs organic, structured vs fluid.
As long as the colours relate, you can have more freedom with the print.
Even more advanced?
Try pairing enhancing colours (rather than matching ones). That’s where the magic happens.
Like the outfit below of the velvet blazer with gold animal print. None of those colours are in my strong logo tee, but they enhance each other beautifully.
My tee has black and white, which is the ultimate print for Eyes and Vibrants to have in their wardrobes.
This clash becomes deliberate, confident and a little bit cheeky.
Print mixing doesn’t always mean two loud visual prints.
Some of the coolest combos come from textures and self-patterns that act like a print.
Take my light taupe set: it’s a one-colour textured fabric, but it has enough detail to stand confidently as a print clash next to my rich terracotta/mahogany (in coco) and denim print jacket.
Bonus: There’s no black or white in my jacket, which means I could easily choose either shoe to frame my outfit.
Your Coco eBook will show you exactly which colours enhance your neutrals like charcoal, so even when you're print mixing with subtle textures, you’ll know what enhancement colours to reach for.
Bring It Into Your Home.
Print mixing isn’t just for your wardrobe. This principle works the same in your home, too.
Try starting with a few cushions on your couch. You’ll be surprised how far a bit of print play can take you!
Scatter it through your space.
Cushions, throws, artwork, rugs, it’s the easiest way to add life and personality to a room.
And the more you play with colour and contrast in your home, the easier it becomes to do the same when you’re standing in front of your wardrobe.
Here’s the truth: Confidence doesn’t come from avoiding risks. It comes from taking small ones and learning as you go.
Mixing prints is a fun way to get brave, and bravery in style ripples out into other areas of your life, too.
Start simple. Repeat colours in common. Play with textures. Then mix in something unexpected and see what happens.
Style Courage Comes From Practice.
