Four Ideas to Balance a Busy Print in your October Outfits

Are you ready for a sweet treat? If you answered YES!, it is your lucky day!

treat:

To find the true story of Tootsie Pop's elusive, prize star, unwrap the suckers below by clicking on the image.

trick:

One trick to mixing prints is to look for prints that are extremely similar in art and color elements, but use different backgrounds. A classic example is pairing white polka dot prints with red, black, or blue backgrounds.

Let's elevate our creativity … can you see this concept working in the photo above?: the tootsie pops all have the same white graphic print, but in different background colors, are looking totally scrumptious bunched together.

treat:

Every once in a while, a designer will present prints pre-mixed on a single article of clothing! It takes a masterful and wise taste level to make this work well, as with this adorably fall sweat set. The paisleys flow seamlessly with the palette of warm and wonderful backgrounds.

trick:

Add a print set (matching top and bottom) into your wardrobe to open as many outfit doors as humanly possible. It's really fun and easy once you learn the magic.

Now, before your very eyes, see the outfit illusion with these same sweat set pieces turning into different looks.

Take a sip of your Sartorial Saturday wake up potion! It may not be Saturday when you are reading this so let's fill your cup: Almost every weekend the Sartorial Saturday newsletter lands in inboxes around the world to transform mindsets, closets, and capsules with a shoppable outfit and tons of tips. Sound yummy? click here to get in on the ritual. Take another sip.....mmm, now it is time for one last October outfit optical illusion.

Tricks of the eye and visual treats await!

The styling trick I am talking about is 'trick of the eye', or in this case using silhouettes and blocking in an outfit to suggest an overall concept to the viewer. Let's look at some busy print outfit ideas...

Wearing the same busy print top to bottom tones down the outfit into a soothing monochromatic vibe. The eye reads the print almost as a solid because there is nothing to break up the visual movement. The trick is to keep the accessories within the same realm as the print:

• gold paisley patterns and textures in the jewelry almost match the gold paisley print that runs throughout the sweatsuit.

• the color of the bag picks up the color of the print perfectly and the circle hardware repeats the shape of the print. A square shaped bag would also work well.

• although the sneakers sneak in a bit of jarring white, the color scheme and shapes of the color blocking work well in a big size shoe to match the print.

---

Balance a busy print with a shaped bottom. The shapeliness keeps the visual line swirling from the shapes of the print, down to the toe. Look: a pointy toe boot in the same shade as the bag and the paisleys! Add some gold hoop earrings the same shape and size as the hardware on the bag and you're golden.

---

This bright and bold colored jean balances our busy print top. Picking up a color from the print background, the pant keeps the eye flowing around the silhouette. Switch the bag to match the blue background section of the printed sweatshirt, and add a chunkier necklace that coordinates color with the boot. All this color brings out the best in the pretty paisley print.

---

Tucking a pair of trusted skinny jeans into knee-high burnished brown boots and leaving the sweatshirt untucked divide this outfit into three spaces, each pleasing on their own, but divine together. Three is the magic number for any outfit!

---

treat:

Black. I'm handing out the rare treat of a black outfit.

Everyone wears black, but it's a tough cookie. Most complexions and beautiful, natural colorings fade or disappear under a black outfit. Black even overpowers most other clothing colors!

Of course I have a big bowl FULL of styling tricks to wear black, but we might get a tummy ache if we gobbled them up all at once.

So today, just throw on a crazy cardigan over any black silhouette and head outside for a fabulous fall day.

Enjoy your tricks and treats!

Could you do me a small, but fun, flavor? Knock on my inbox and hand me a trick or treat! Give me some flavorful feedback about your Stylist at Large experience by leaving a comment below.