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

[FrustratedFrugal]

When I purged pattern from my wardrobe a couple of years ago, everything somehow felt sharper and more 'me'. I have not reintroduced pattern and only own two patterned items that I regularly wear - a COS skirt (digital floral print, almost like a painting) and a tile-print cotton dress. Both are a mix of my best colors and their print isn't twee. For me, texture does what pattern does not. I think pattern often steals the show, but I too know a couple of visually gifted people who have a knack for calibrating it.

[Lweji]

Not a style guru, but I do have and can like prints.
Patterns are good for capsule wardrobes, IMO because you can match the item to different colours more easily than a plain colour.

Having said that, for me animal prints are big nos. I've never had them and they always look the opposite of classy IMO.

Same with navy. It looks uniform to me. So, cheap rather than expensive.

I don't particularly like bottoms with prints. My patterns are tops or dresses. I have all sorts. Stripes, geometrical and flowery.

I aim to look different things from classic to relaxed, so I don't care if some outfits look cheaper.

[NeonPinkNails]

I tend to stick to classic patterns - mainly stripes, stars, dots and animal print - but I do have a soft spot for the odd unusual pattern. One of my favourite dresses has bikes all over and I covet a dress my boss wears covered in old-fashioned typewriters :).

[CoolToned]

I love stripes and polka dot.

Fruit and hearts are fun too.

I don't like floral, paisley, tribal, animal print.

[CoolToned]

I forgot stars. I love stars pattern.

[toadgirl]

Today, I put on a lovely blue patterned top. I love it, so does husband. However, I have not one thing that I can put over the top that works.

As top is a strong colour AND patterned, I have the following problems:-

My striped cardigans - can't mix patterns
My aqua jacket thing - wrong colour
Two fleeces - both wrong colour
Cardigan (fuchsia) - wrong colour
Pale pink knitted long cardigan - wrong colour.

Aargh! Now I see exactly why I can't get dressed. Looks like I need a neutral, plain cardigan or two. Perhaps black and/or charcoal. Hmm.

Did some window shopping online and am really drawn to a denim floral shirt. Really attracted to it. It's cheap on Ebay so probably will buy. That won't go with my blue top either!

This is so HARD

[senua]

I had my colours done several years ago and so bought only clothes in shades that suited my skin-tone. This meant that I ended up with a wardrobe of mono block. Very tasteful, very safe, ... very boring.
I now try to snap up multi colour (i.e. patterned) when I can (i.e. when it fits the palette, which is not very often) to inject a bit of life and character.

[senua]

Interesting cross-posts there!
Toadgirl please don't resort to black/charcoal - it is so unimaginative. Find which colours suit you and buy from that palette - then everything will go with everything else.

[Lweji]

Toadgirl
I'd probably go for cream or grey/blue cardigan. The aqua probably feels wrong because it will look green against the blue. But green and blue can look nice, although I've always been told by my mother that they look shit together.

I tend to leave strong colours for tops too, although I do have a couple of summer skirts in salmon and red, and a white one. I ended up buying my first dark/neutral tops to match them.

[toadgirl]

Senua

Thanks - I'll try and expand my ideas a bit. Trouble is, I am very unimaginative and hopeless with colours :)

[toadgirl]

Lweji

Thanks. Yes, I think green and blue can definitely look nice if they are the right shades. It's hard to describe this top. It's what's called a burnt out stop. The background is a strong mediterranean blue with an exotic flower pattern with a denim blue and light blue in it.

[29redshoes]

lweji my mum says the same..."blue and green should never be seen"!

[EddieStobbart]

Have a look in the Boden catalogue. Anything labelled "fun" is always a winner.

[Catinthecorner]

Toadgirl, I'd do an orange/coral layer over the top you discribed if you wanted colour. Soft dove grey if you want something safer. Cream or navy might work too.

[senua]

Toadgirl I used to be hopeless with colours, too. That's why it was brilliant to be given the palette of shades that suited me / each other - it takes out all the guesswork!
Back when I had my colours done it was quite simple - there were four 'seasons' - but I think that they have complicated extrapolated it since. The key is yellow: northern European skins don't suit yellow, southern do. You then decide if you are a warm or cool person; warm is sort of soft-focus, cool is sharp and clear (cool people have skin that looks almost translucent - eg Nicole Kidman, Liz Taylor).
The tricky colours are the ones that contain yellow, you have to find which ones work for you. Thus the 'blue and green should never be seen' rhyme should be ' certain shades of blue and certain shades of green should never be seen. I can't do lime green (too yellowy), I can't do mint (too cool) but I can do spring green, teal and turquoise. Similarly for brown, I can't do tan but I can do chocolate.

Try googling Colour Me Beautiful - there are lots of guides out there. One of them will tell you a colour to go with your burnt-out top.

[lasttimeround]

Toadgirl - don't buy another top, solve the issue with this top you already own and that you like and that likes you. Put it in your handbag and next time you are out shopping find something to go with it.
For a while I had a list on my phone of my wardrobe 'holes' the things I needed to buy to make other stuff I already had work - stopped me getting distracted! I find it much easier you see what goes with what in real life. You can see both items, the weight and finish of the fabric and try on together. I find online shoppingreally frustrating unless I'm replacing something I know snd like already like branded trainers or my uniqlo knitwear

[andintothefire]

I love prints but the problem is that the good High Street options often become very recognisable or are obvious rip offs of designer patterns. I have bought dresses that I have loved, only to have to quickly nip into a nearby shop when I see somebody else walking down the street in the same dress (and probably looking better than me!). However, when I splash out on a dress I often buy prints and they turn into my most loved and commented on items.