Choosing prints and patterns is something that is deeply personal (as I discussed here in how to choose prints for your personality) and also something that you can think about with regards to flattering your physicality. There are psychological reasons you like certain prints and hate others, but you’ll also find that some prints just…
A Guide to Mastering Value Contrast Have you ever been drawn to a stunning pattern, only to find that it somehow overwhelms your look, rather than enhancing it? What I’ve learned over the past 20 years working with clients doing personal colour analysis and finding the best ways of putting each individual client’s colours together,…
There are two sorts of contrast – value contrast (how light and dark the colours you put together should be in your outfit – watch the video on that here) and colour contrast – how similar or different the colours that you’re putting together in your outfit need to be. How about your colour contrast?…
I love patterns, but when looking for a specific colour inan item of clothing it is really hard to know when there isenough of the ‘right’ colour to balance out the ‘wrong’colour. Canyou point me in the right direction? – thank you! Jessie Choosing Prints and Patterns to Work with Your Colour Swatch Here in…
One of the most important and integral parts of choosing prints and patterns is to make sure that the print is one you love. Prints, more than any other aspect of style and clothing choices, are based on personality. Body shape and figure flattery are important elements of the style puzzle, but if you don’t…
How do you pick a print that is flattering for you? There are just so many prints to choose from – florals, stripes, animal, abstract, geometric, checks, paisley, ikat… the list goes on and on. So how do you make the right choices when prints and patterns come in a myriad of colours, scale, contrast…
Hi Imogen, I love your blog! I am wondering if the type of prints (i.e. angular/curved prints) have anything to do with body shape. I saw two ladies who coincidentally were dressed in black and white printed dresses. One has an I-shaped girl and the prints on her dress were bold and angular. If she…
In this podcast episode, Jill Chivers of 16 Style Types and I discuss how solid garments can still be classed as heroes. Not all statement (hero) items are prints, so what other elements of garments can be heroes and how can you tell the difference between a hero print and an interest print. Which Kind of…
Prints: I find I usually default to solids because there seems to be an overwhelming amount of considerations with a print (color and value contrasts, size, modernity, age appropriateness, straight/curved lines, connected or individual pattern…). For example: sizewise -flower prints generally look like I’m lost in the garden, but would calico be twee? I find…
In this podcast episode, Jill Chivers of 16 Style Types and I discuss how solid garments can still be classed as heroes. Not all statement (hero) items are prints, so what other elements of garments can be heroes and how can you tell the difference between a hero print and an interest print. Which Kind of…
Hi Imogen, Here’s my question: I’m an H shape but with a bit of a postpartum tummy (also short waisted with short mid-body). I’ve been thinking about purchasing some gingham/plaid tops but am wondering what elements I should be looking for or avoiding. What pattern size/density of check should I look for? (small/large/uniform shape/irregular?) Should…
If you learn how to mix prints and patterns in an outfit like a pro, you’ll expand your selection of possible ways of putting your existing clothes together and get way more bang for your fashion buck. Are there any fashion rules regarding mixing prints and patterns in your outfits? Mixing prints in fashion is…
What to Look for When Choosing a Print to Make You Appear Slimmer One of the aspects of choosing prints that I’ve often heard people say is that they can’t wear prints as they’re under the misconception that all prints make you look larger, and if they don’t want to draw attention to a body…
The Personality of Patterns in Scarves This is the topic of the video Jill Chivers of 16 Style Types and I discuss, though the personality of prints and the discussion on fabric choices extends into other clothing elements outside of the scarf! So how do you express personality through your patterns? Patterns Classic – stripes…
I was asked by one of my 7 Steps to Style members to talk about florals as she was concerned that florals come in so many different forms – in some ways – they are the most varied sort of pattern of all patterns, but they can be seen as old-fashioned or ageing which as…
Many women shy away from prints as they’ve read or been told that all prints make you look larger and are generally unflattering. Yet this is not true for all prints and patterns, in fact, many can be really wonderfully camouflaging if you know how to choose ones that flatter you. There are dimensions to…
When choosing prints and patterns for your outfits – what’s the easiest way of knowing that a print is going to harmonise with you and your colouring? There are two elements of this – the colour contrast of the print and the value contrast of the print. If you’re new here on Inside Out Style…
What is the easiest and best way to choose prints and patterns? Match them to your colour palette! If you’ve had a personal colour analysis you should have a colour palette, a fabulous tool that will assist you in finding the colours in both solid fabrics as well as patterned ones. When you think about…
No matter the print, whether it’s florals, animal, abstract, ikat, check, geometrics or stripes, finding prints that relate to your value and value contrast will make your outfit look so much better on you. Just as with colours where you should wear the colour rather than the colour wearing you. You should be the one…
Jill Chivers of 16 Style Types and I discuss all aspects of animal prints in this video post. I explain the contrast elements of animal prints, both value contrast and colour contrast. Watch the video in this post if you want to know more about choosing prints and the contrast of prints (it’s the…
Following on from my post on how to interpret prints and patterns I want to talk more about different elements of prints and how they also relate to other elements of ourselves. You would be aware that not all florals are the same, just as not all animal prints, stripes or checks are the same,…
