Patterns. Are they always awful?

[29redshoes]

I'm starting to revamp my wardrobe now that I've lost most of my baby weight, and have been reading S+B a fair bit in the process.

It seems patterns are often considered a bit of a fashion faux pas. Why is this? Does everyone think this way, or is it just super fashionable people? When I think about the clothes I own which have received the most compliments in the past, they're almost all patterned!

Just curious really - and conscious that I have a lot of patterned tops and print dresses in my wardrobe. Wondering if I should cut down and if this will automatically make me more chic

[lasttimeround]

Neverdull - imo this is what I think is actually difficult about patterns. Yes you can mix pattern and plain but most people then stop looking at the outline of the clothes or the message of the different items. That sounds wanky but I'll try to explain. Imagine a pair of trousers that are somehow nautical in the way they are cut. That would go well with stripes or a graphic scribbly pattern but would actually look confused with most florals or animal prints. But I think most people don't see this unless they really look and most of us don't have time for that in the mornings. It gets even worse when you accessorise and add a coat or jacket - both of which again will have different styles. The end result is muddled.
That's what I see most of when I see people wearing perfectly good clothes just not paired well and I'm wondering why doexnt she look well dressed why doesn't it work. Just plonking a pattern with a plain items should work but frequently doesn't or looks unthought.
I find plain makes it easier to keep your eye on shapes that cohere and getting the basics right. You are right it can all get a bit plain and pattern as well as colour helps to lift an outfit . But often pattern distracts and you need to look harder and frequently don't quite nail it - which often I only realise later in the day when I think "my outfit jars why?"
PS - yes I do think about this too much

[neveradullmoment99]

Yes i suppose that's true. I was taking the style of something as a given [being able to match it]. I suppose regularly looking at magazines and blogs helps style things together. I find inspiration very often from websites. I look at how things are styled together without even realising it. If i were to buy a A-line skirt for example, i would look at how the model styled it on the website and use that as a guide or even find something else that picks the colour up from the print. I always think about balance. Wide leg trousers, slim top. A-line skirt, shortish top etc. Most of these ideas i get from browsing and looking at things i like. What i need to take more account of as i get older is my body shape!!!!

[Cellardoor23]

lasttimeround I over think without throwing patterns into the mix! I think that's why I try to avoid them especially tops. Lovely on other people when done right. Terrible on me.

Scarfs I don't mind as I can take it off if I change my mind when I'm out lol.

[lasttimeround]

It does somehow get stupidly complicated. I never really thought much about clothes until my late 30s!

Interesting never I guess I find it quite hard to abstract what I see on someone else onto me. I might give your approach more of a go although I struggle with being a different shape and ethnicity to most models. There's some florals I think look gorgeous on classic English Rose types that just are v disappointing on me, so I sort of gave up.
This is why I love mumsnet - I can't really have these insights with people in rl

[KittyB52]

I love patterns but they can be tricky. A lot of dresses seem to have pattern on the lower half, which is often not the area we want the eye to be drawn to ( in my experience as someone who is SWS (Short With Saddlebags)).

I love the idea of a capsule wardrobe, and everything working well with everything else (because I am lazy) but I don't like the thought of having a load of plain clothes (because I love colours and patterns).

The struggle is real.

[PacificDogwod]

Just wear what your like and makes you feel good

Personally, I like patterns, but only on one half of me or as an accessory: patterned cigarette trousers, big floaty plain top. Or wide legged plain trousers with tighter patterned top. You get the idea.

But serious, do what you like

[CharlieSierra]

I love colour and pattern too, but what running said up thread about wearing print trousers and adding a floral jacket and cath kidson bag is nothing to do with whether pattern is unfashionable, it's to do with that person being badly dressed. I wouldn't wear patterned trousers if I didn't have a suitable plain jacket to wear with them, I wouldn't buy them if I didn't know what I would wear them with. I don't think it's anything to do with pattern or plain being more fashionable, it's how you wear things together.

[FlamingoFling]

I bought a lovely floral pencil skirt from Ted Baker yesterday which will be perfect with a plain top but I agree patterns need to be used judiciously.

They're also more difficult for designers to get right - some patterns can be works of art and others distinctly meh! With very few exceptions you get what you pay for.

[toadgirl]

Wow, lasttimeround I loved your post. I certainly found it very helpful - thank you so much.

You really explained it to me. This is where I've been going wrong all along. I'm pretty thick about things like this.

Something clicked in my brain when I read your post. Yes! THAT is why I can never get my clothes to mix-and-match and look right.

[Floisme]

I agree that, if something is an interesting shape (e.g. some of the new, oversized winter coats) or just really well cut, a plain colour might work better. But I can't go along with the view that pattern is just a distraction.

Some days I like a clean line myself but to do away with all pattern just seems so needlessly limiting. I would guess at least 95% of my wardrobe is block colour but some of my favourite ever pieces are patterned: the Alexander Mcqueen lightening print pencil skirt (a bargainous £40) my electric blue animal print flats, the Mathew Williamson for H&M top (originally a dress but I cut it down to extend its life) the 30 year old Warehouse dress that I never wear but can't bear to throw out cos I used to feel so great in it.

I think what I'm trying to say is that a good pattern lifts my spirits in a way that clean lines never will. And it doesn't have to mean death by Cath Kidson.

[lasttimeround]

Thank you toadgirl that's really nice. I felt really self conscious posting all that yesterday - im certainly no expert but have been trying to look better dressed for a while now. I'm often still faintly embarrassed that it matters to me but I do enjoy it when I get it to work.

[Kennington]

Patterns are just harder to pull off. Particularly flower prints.
They can look great but I am no fashion expert so I tend to avoid apart from a little leopard and snake print.

[toadgirl]

lasttimeround

You're welcome :)

It really was helpful.

I am late 40s and am ONLY NOW trying to get to grips with my wardrobe. Don't know why it took so long, but am determined to get it right from now on.

I've stopped buying clothes for a fantasy life I will never have and am starting to become more realistic. Also realising that holding onto clothes that are unsuitable does not make them any less a waste of money!

Nothing wrong with wanting to polish up one's presentation a bit. I keep telling myself that when I have the wardrobe organised, it will actually save me time to think about other things.

[n0ne]

Well, I love patterns. I'll sometimes buy a garment whose shape/colour I wouldn't otherwise entertain just because it has butterflies/bees/birds/daisies/feathers/tree branches/stars etc on it. I try to avoid cutesy and only really go for nature themes (except animal print, yuck), but I do have one dress I love with a kind of Frida Kahlo theme that I always get compliments on.

I don't think prints suit every personality, but I'm kind of geeky and look young for my age so I think I pull it off. Oh, and I never wear more than one patterned item at the same time. Don't want to look like a clown!

[Floisme]

I can see that patterns aren't as versatile so if you don't have many clothes they might feel a bit of an indulgence. But I don't get how they're any harder to wear than block colour? I just stick em on with something plain! And if I don't want anything too overpowering I wear them somewhere out of the way, like on my feet.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

I like patterns, especially in skirt form.

[Batteriesallgone]

I make clothes sometimes. IMHO, patterns look great on a really simple dress pattern. So a patterned shift dress I love. Not many seams or hems, the fabric can shine through.

last put it better than I could about the cut of clothes. A patterned fabric needs to A) be nice and look good on you B) work with the cut/style of the item (which you'd think shops would think through but sometimes it seems not. Also sometimes the pattern+cut works on someone of a different shape to you but not on you) and C) the cut/style of the patterned item needs to go with whatever you accessorise it with.

Personally I have clear tastes. I like green purple and grey. I like certain cuts and styles. I generally can freely mix and match in my wardrobe because my whole life I've bought along the same lines. Unfortunately, the trade for having a capsule wardrobe is being boring and predicable!!

[Batteriesallgone]

Hems? I meant darts

[lasttimeround]

nOne your patterns sound lovely. I particularly like Frida kahlo too - there's fabric of her/by her(?) on get cutie which I fantasise about getting a dress or skirt in one day...sigh...oh to be young and geeky looking.

[n0ne]

lasttimeround my dress is from Get Cutie! Got it from a shop in Soho many moons ago. I don't think you need to be young and geeky to pull off that fabric - go for it!

[ephemeralfairy]

Blimey, my wardrobe would be about a quarter of its size if I only allowed block colours!

I'm not always keen on florals and I hate any kind of 'tribal' print, but I love love love tweed, gingham, houndstooth, tartan, leopard print, stripes, polka dots. Those are 'classic' patterns that never really go out of fashion whereas florals can look very dated.

[ephemeralfairy]

I also love wearing clashing patterns. The trick is to keep the colour palette OR the pattern the same: for example I've got a blue and black check skirt that I wear with a blue, black and white sort of abstract print blouse. It sounds HIDEOUS but I always get compliments when I wear the two together.

[lasttimeround]

Ephemeral you sound like one of those women I spot snd watch and try to understand how it's done.(Bows) Thanks for the trick . I'm always mystified.
My sister is an artist and she is able to combine clothes in ways that are just amazing. She just understands the visual in a way I dont.

[lasttimeround]

Too funny it is Get Cutie! I might ease my way in with a head wrap or similar nOne as I go love love love - but that prints a long way from my usual look.

[lasttimeround]

Oh and it didn't mean mystified as in why? But how? Entirely complimentary