I’ve found that as Anya has started taking an interest in what she wears, she almost always tends to go for the craziest, most mis-matched combos which can even include her dotty pyjama bottoms combined with a floral skirt and a very ethnic Indian style top!  While I let her have freedom at home, I prefer to be in charge when we are going out.  That doesn’t always end happily but since I’ve noticed she is more drawn to bolder patterned clothes (like most kids), I now pick out clothes like these and have fun mixing and matching the various prints and patterns with her.  Mixing prints & patterns not only looks good but it’s also a way to give a new look to an old outfit.  So I thought I would share 3 of my favourite ways to mix prints and patterns:

Combining classic stripes with feminine florals works so well.  Because there is already so much going on with this look, I prefer to keep the colour tones the same therefore the blue stripes which pick out the blue from the blazer.  And the lime green sandals also complement the colours in the blazer.  Find this look at Zara.

Polka dots are the best!  Combining a big polka dot print with a smaller one while keeping the colours the same creates a statement look without going over the top.  Because both the polka dot prints are in neutral blacks & whites, a pair of bright sandals adds a little pop of colour.  Find this look at Jujubunnyshop.

Bold, statement prints go so well with smaller repeat prints.  Here again the two work together well as long as the colours are in the same family.  But this look works best for me in more toned down colours or even pastels but not brights.  Since the outfit here is in pared back colours, the touch of sparkle in the shoes finishes the look nicely.  Find this look at Not so big shop.

While I’ve picked out these mixed patterns looks for kids, they’ll work equally well for adults too and I’m hoping will encourage me to move away from my minimalist black & white addiciton.  Do you mix patterns well?  What’s your favourite look?

{Find the looks here: Look 1 by Zara…  look 2 by Jujubunnyshop…  look 3 by Not so big shop}