<p>You’ve heard it from your mom, your friends, and all over social media: don’t mix patterns. We’ve been told we can’t pair stripes and florals. Or plaid and cheetah. It seems that any combination of these prints is met with a chorus of “those don’t work well together!” or “that doesn’t match!</p>
<p>I’ve experienced these criticisms myself. According to my mom, floral pants and a striped tee was “not my best look” for the first day of elementary school. I, of course, dramatically stomped back upstairs to change. For the record, I thought I looked great.</p>
<p>As an avid fashion-lover, my sense of style has shifted throughout the years. Self-expression for me often took form as fashion experimentation: mixing colors, textures, styles and fabrics. I loved pairing things that didn’t necessarily “go together.” And I always took pride in what I wore, even when my siblings, parents, or friends told me that pieces of my outfit “didn’t match.”</p>
<p>Luckily, recent trends like animal print, bold, neon colors, and textured fabrics allow for lots of flexibility when it comes to pairing colors, patterns, and textures. Any look once labeled as a faux pas is now fair game for my fellow fashion-lovers, free spirits, and pattern enthusiasts. However, it can seem intimidating to hop on the bandwagon of such a bold trend. Everyone is completely entitled to express their own style (there really are no rules in fashion!). But, if you’re looking for a sign to finally pull out all your patterned clothing: this is it.</p>
<p>Need some inspiration on how to incorporate the pattern-mixing trend into your daily look? Here are some tips on different ways to spice up your rotation of outfits for the week.</p>
<p><strong>Add some texture!</strong> Go above and beyond by combining a fuzzy striped sweater or a printed fur coat will add some dimension to your outfit. If you’re feeling especially bold, this might be a good way to take your outfits to the next level. My go-to look? My cheetah print fur coat with a cute graphic tee and cropped jeans. Easy peasy.</p>
<p><strong>Focus on the little things: accessories!</strong> Using hats, scarves, belts, or bags in a range of colors, styles, and prints is an easy and more subdued way to mix your patterns. My personal favorite is using patterned hair scarves! It’s super easy to tie a colorful scarf into your ponytail or around your bun. Wearing your hair down? Tie the scarf to the strap of your purse or bag to add some flair.</p>
<p><strong>Finally, be confident!</strong> Don’t be afraid to combine crazy prints, non-complementary colors, or wild textures. Try experimenting with things that you wouldn’t normally pair together. Fashion is subjective and should be a fun form of self-expression. Use some of these ideas to introduce pattern-mixing into your style for this season, and ignore everyone who still tells you your outfits “don’t match.”</p>
<p>Don’t be afraid to mix! Rock your best patterns on campus this season.</p>
<p>COVER PHOTO: The Handmade Home</p>
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<div class="wp-biographia-container-top" style="background-color: #FFEAA8; border-top: 4px solid #000000;"><div class="wp-biographia-pic" style="height:100px; width:100px;"><img alt='' src='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/8cbe66d4b0c6e93b7327dae61d030d33e44f696cf399eb606e7e3a569e5bb4de?s=100&#038;d=wp_user_avatar&#038;r=g' srcset='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/8cbe66d4b0c6e93b7327dae61d030d33e44f696cf399eb606e7e3a569e5bb4de?s=200&#038;d=wp_user_avatar&#038;r=g 2x' class='wp-biographia-avatar avatar-100 photo' height='100' width='100' /></div><div class="wp-biographia-text"><h3>About <a href="https://tulanemagazine.com/author/gracecarter/" title="Grace Carter">Grace Carter</a></h3><p>Grace Carter is a junior whose favorite times of the day include breakfast, lunch, and dinner. When she's not writing for our Fashion and Beauty team, she's probably eating Sriracha.</p><div class="wp-biographia-links"><small><ul class="wp-biographia-list wp-biographia-list-text"><li><a href="mailto:g&#99;&#97;&#114;&#116;er&#54;&#64;tul&#97;&#110;e.&#101;&#100;&#117;" target="_self" title="Send Grace Carter Mail" class="wp-biographia-link-text">Mail</a></li> | <li><a href="https://tulanemagazine.com/author/gracecarter/" target="_self" title="More Posts By Grace Carter" class="wp-biographia-link-text">More Posts(8)</a></li></ul></small></div></div></div><!-- WP Biographia v4.0.0 -->

Mix It Up: Bring Some Fun Into Your Look
