This is probably the biggest fashion trend for the coming Summer – patterns are exploding all over the High St; strong, colourful, unusual, in vibrant shades or gentle watercolour florals, you can choose from anything from the ditsy print to the striking ethnic look - a great alternative for any lady who feels that subdued pastel colours are too wishy-washy for her!
Those with a Creative streak will love the opportunity to mix it all up and and make a vibrant statement....or maybe just decide to wear something completely different to the rest of the world anyway!
Really vibrant multicoloured patterns tend to work best for darker haired ladies whose colouring is strong - very bold and striking prints can over power the fairer woman and result in your clothes 'wearing you', so softer floral designs or small ditsy prints will be more flattering. For darker brunettes and especially those whose colouring is warm toned, animal, ethnic and tribal prints often look fabulous! If you don’t want to make too much
of a statement, try a colourful scarf to add drama and interest to a simple
outfit. 
Dark haired ladies with a cool skin tone often look their very best in block colours rather than patterns, so
this trend isn’t an ideal one for you, but nevertheless, there are plenty of
bold bright colours in your palette to enjoy. If you are a pattern devotee,
look for one with plenty of contrast – black with shocking pink or red, or
royal blue with pure white……
Right: Invitation Galindo skirt from www.hobbs.co.uk
It’s
really up to you whether you want to indulge in this season's ultimate fashion statement
of clashing different patterns on your top and bottom half…… My personal view
is that unless you are fairly slim, patterns are best kept just for your top half as
they do draw the eye to those areas which may be less than perfect! A patterned
skirt can be fine, but trousers with a pattern can be a real challenge! (speaking
as one who foolishly bought a pair of candy striped summer trousers many years
ago which were never actually worn, as they made me look like Andy Pandy’s older
sister....)
However, if you want to
try it, here are some suggestions to make it work:
- Keep roughly the same colour palette in both your clashing patterns
Left: Ted Baker Floral Jersey top from www.asos.com
Right: Linea Tesini Chiffon
long skirt
- OR Keep roughly the same style/shape of pattern (e.g. stripes, animal/reptile print or floral design) in both your patterns, even if the colours may be different
Left: Ted Baker top with Paradise Bird Print
Right: Asos Floral Print Skirt
both from www.asos.com
- OR Have just one pattern in your outfit and use another pattern in your accessories (scarf, shoes or bag)
- OR Team your patterned item with a pale neutral (the best shade of white for your season) in your outfit to soften the effect of a really bold pattern.
Right: Red Herring Black woven pencil skirt from http://www.debenhams.com
Some ladies may be looking at this season's patterned designs and thinking 'Wonderful!' - whilst others may think 'Yuk - never in this lifetime.....' - we are all unique individuals and the right thing for you to wear is what suits you - and what you feel happy in!
If you'd like some help to discover what really works for you, then do give me a call! on 01245 440162 or e-mail to info@cascadeimage.co.uk
Best Wishes
Cass
