How to Mix Prints: Polka Dots and Stripes

The Scene

First Twitter event in LA as part of the company. Biggie for me. And not just because our event happened to be held at the Petersen Museum, site of the shooting that killed Notorious B.I.G.!



Event went fantastically well and ends with roof-top cocktails. Life is good.





The Outfit 

H&M dress
J Crew belt
Zara heels
Marc by Marc Jacobs bag
Fashion District bracelets
Dior sunglasses




The Grade

A

The Commentary


The goal today: look professional without feeling boring – the perennial challenge of real women with real jobs everywhere. Prints and color are my go-to ways to create polished pop. Stand-out accessories help too. Enter my delicious new Zara heels. They were lust at first sight. Sold out in stores so got them online. 

They are dead-ringers for all those Prada Spring 2011 striped heels that I still haunt my dreams. 

The orange-magenta color combination is a personal favorite for summer – probably the mani/pedi I do most often during warm months. Love how the rafia makes them feel like vacation shoes but the shape and structure makes them pulled-together enough for the office.

Pulled out a go-to chiffon-y dress (worn before for another work event here.) Despite the polka dot print, I think of this dress as neutral in my wardrobe. The black and cream go with everything.



Added the neon orange belt to match my nails and the heels as well as a little neon bracelet I got in the Fashion District.  The final touch: the polka dot bag.

My trick to mixing polka dots – and really mixing any prints – is to find a color or colors that tie them together.  So, in this case, it's less about the dress and the bag both being polka dotted and more about the background of both being cream and the "print" being black.  

For example, the look wouldn't have worked as well if I'd worn the version of the bag that I got my mom for Mother's Day. The whole thing could have felt clownier because in that case it wouldn't have been about tying together colors, it would have been about the prints. Make sense?

Thankfully, I averted clowny and the outfit was a hit. The shoes got more compliments that you can imagine. A+ of a purchase. And best of all, I felt like I looked unique and memorable  – two keys to success in business today.  

The Inspiration

Prada Rococo Sunglasses & Fendi Inspired Zara heels

The Outfit

Et Vous blouse

Ann Taylor leather skirt

The Accessories
Prada Rococo sunglasses
L.A.M.B. clutch
Zara heels
Michele watch
Forever 21 bracelets
Nasty Gal cross necklace

The Grade
A




The Commentary

Built the yummy outfit around these sensibly adorbs  shoes. Bought them this summer because they reminded me of Fendi Spring 2011...fo' just fotty bucks. Wore them to death huffing around in Montreal and Quebec. A substantial kitten heel like this is ideal on vacation when you are a lady of a certain age.

The top was thrifted a few years ago and still adore. The leather skirt I bought when I was 22---one of my all time best purchases. Loving how it works with the LAMBy clutch

And it kinda goes without saying but: these Prada Rococo sunglasses are EVERYTHING!!!!


The Inspiration

How to Mix Prints: Spring 2012

The Outfit

Target feather top

J Crew skirt

The Accessories

Vintage quilted crossbody bag

Forever 21 flats

Random bracelets galore

The Grade

A

The Commentary

As fall quickly approaches, I wanted to share one of my favorite summer outfits. Couldn't believe the luxe-looking drape and print of this top when I found it at Target. $19. Want to live in it.

Mixed it with the little dotted skirt I nabbed at the J Crew outlet. The reversed out look is mixed prints perfection.

Still haven't mastered mixing prints? Get on it. It's a trend that's STILL all over the spring 2012 runways at NYFW.

Vivienne Tam

10 Crosby Derek Lam---new line I'm LOVING

The Inspiration