Okay, patterns. Yep, they scare me too. I have leaned on solid colors in the past because, frankly, I didn’t know how I was supposed to pair patterns with other patterns! 

Let me tell you, once I found out the perfect pattern matches; I was hooked. I want to share with you what designs pair perfectly with other patterns!

Stripes

Oh boy, what could go with stripes?! Floral... Yep! Polka dots? Most certainly! Okay, now what about other types of stripes?? Of course! Pattern matching doesn’t seem too bad now, right?!

Other pairing options: Plaid, Gingham, or complex patterns

Plaid

I love plaid! I usually would pair a plaid top with black leggings, jeans, or shorts. Not anymore! Let’s expand our style! Try mixing your plaid with stripes or graphics! Can you picture how cute you’ll look? I can!

Other pairing options: Herringbone, gingham, even more plaid (yes, plaid on plaid!)!

Gingham

What’s gingham? Great question! Honestly, I thought gingham was just a more oversized version of squared plaid. Which, in a way, it is! You can decide for yourself! You can mix gingham with polka dots, floral, and of course, plaid!

Other pairing options: Any kind of busy or complex pattern!

Polka Dots

The most dreaded pattern to mix… or is that just me? But really, it’s not THAT hard to find designs that fit with polka dots! For example, smaller polka dots, mini stripes, large stripes, floral! Think about how cute a polka dot blouse would look styled with a floral skirt, like yes, please!

Other pairing options: Graphics!

Who else thinks that mixing patterns is now fun? I do! Tag our Instagram @ellyjaymes when you post your mixed patterns so we can see just how amazing you look stepping out of your comfort zone! If you already play with pairing patterns, let us know what other designs you found work well together!