Have you ever thought about print placement when you’re choosing a garment with a print or pattern? What do I mean by this? Well when you look at the garment, where does the print draw your eye? What stands out and grabs attention? Is the placement of the print flattering you or drawing attention to…
Ideally, choosing prints and patterns that are within your ideal colour contrast level is the best solution to looking in harmony with your outfit. But should you choose to go outside of those levels, how to pull off the look so you wear the pattern rather than the pattern wearing you? We all have favourite…
There are two sorts of contrast – value contrast (how light and dark the colours you put together should be in your outfit – watch the video on that here) and colour contrast – how similar or different the colours that you’re putting together in your outfit need to be. How about your colour contrast?…
How do you select prints and patterns that work well with your personal value contrast? If you’re new to the subject of value contrast, it’s worth reading these posts first, so you can discover your value contrast and see how it’s important when putting outfits together. Value is the technical colour word that means how…
What is the easiest and best way to choose prints and patterns? Match them to your colour palette! If you’ve had a personal colour analysis you should have a colour palette, a fabulous tool that will assist you in finding the colours in both solid fabrics as well as patterned ones. When you think about…
If you learn how to mix prints and patterns in an outfit like a pro, you’ll expand your selection of possible ways of putting your existing clothes together and get way more bang for your fashion buck. Are there any fashion rules regarding mixing prints and patterns in your outfits? Mixing prints in fashion is…
Do you wear jewellery with your printed and patterned garments? You may not need to (check out my tips on knowing whether this applies to you here), but you may still like to add a little something extra, that icing that draws attention up to your face. It can be a little trickier to decide…
In interior decorating, there is a concept of the 60/30/10 rule – that is percentages of different colours to use in a decorating scheme. 60% + 30% + 10 % proportion formula is considered to be a timeless decorating rule that can be used to mix different colours in a balanced way in a room.…
I have found at 52 I no longer like the way prints look on me. Printed tops were once a significant part of my wardrobe, but as my hair and colouring have cooled they now overwhelm me. Can you explore the types of style changes one may need to make? What are the changed I…
Dear Imogen, I am a big fan of your contrast series. I had never known about this concept before, and often kept myself wondering why some particular outfit felt off to me – but couldn’t quite put my finger on it. It all really boiled down to contrast levels! I am amazed that so few…
When you’re thinking about how to flatter your body and enhance it in a way that makes you happy, there are a few ‘tricks of the trade’ that make it easier to decide what to wear (and what to avoid when you’re shopping so you don’t keep making expensive mistakes). How does the magician create…
Dresses and skirts are great alternatives to jeans and shorts (and athleisure wear) for in relaxed environments, yet so many women worry that they will be overdressed if they choose to wear these as dresses and skirts are often associated more with more formal attire. What to Look for When Choosing Dresses and Skirts for…
When choosing prints and patterns for your outfits – what’s the easiest way of knowing that a print is going to harmonise with you and your colouring? There are two elements of this – the colour contrast of the print and the value contrast of the print. If you’re new here on Inside Out Style…
Would you like to have more joy in your life? I’m not sure anyone would answer “no” to this question. So how do you bring more joy in? And what’s it got to do with a style blog? Fortunately, there are “joy” researchers in this world and one of them, Ingrid Fetell Lee, has found…
When thinking about putting together an outfit once you’ve got the basics sorted (find out more about my Outfit Formula and choosing the best neutral basics for you) you may want a uniting or linking piece that ties other elements of it together. This may be a garment or accessory that contains elements such as…
In this podcast episode, Jill Chivers of 16 Style Types and I discuss how solid garments can still be classed as heroes. Not all statement (hero) items are prints, so what other elements of garments can be heroes and how can you tell the difference between a hero print and an interest print. Which Kind of…
You know that adding a hero garment (statement item) to your outfit always makes it more exciting. Hero garments are frequently patterns, but what if you don’t like prints – how do you add heroes in solid colours that still have that impace? Find out more on the accompanying blog post here: Can There Be…
Prints: I find I usually default to solids because there seems to be an overwhelming amount of considerations with a print (color and value contrasts, size, modernity, age appropriateness, straight/curved lines, connected or individual pattern…). For example: sizewise -flower prints generally look like I’m lost in the garden, but would calico be twee? I find…
If you’ve read my recommendations on how to dress the hourglass shapes – the X Shape and A shape, that have the wider lower hip area, you may have noticed that the instructions are to keep the bottom of your body more boring, plain and free of detail. Details to Avoid Below the Waist for…
How to create a working wardrobe and get the right balance between basics and heroes? Whether those heroes are patterns or items in bold colours or textures that make their own statement it’s worth identifying the right balance or ratio for your wardrobe. This is the topic of discussion I had with Jill Chivers of…
The Personality of Patterns in Scarves This is the topic of the video Jill Chivers of 16 Style Types and I discuss, though the personality of prints and the discussion on fabric choices extends into other clothing elements outside of the scarf! So how do you express personality through your patterns? Patterns Classic – stripes…
