Justine: How to Mix Stripes and Plaid

Posted By Justine Crawford in Archive, Fashion

BreakingModern — In fashion, taboos are omnipresent. Whether it’s socks in sandals, wearing white after Labor Day or the donning of velour tracksuits, all kinds of faux pas run rampant in wardrobes across the globe. But pioneers have always known how to break the rules.

One of my favorite fashion laws to break involves mixing prints. I’ve seen my fair share of heinous conflicting patterns. And yes, one of the most prevalent and most hated of those are the stripes and plaid mix. But wearing stripes and plaid can be charming rather than clashing. Below, you’ll see I did a bit of modeling to explain just what I mean:

1. The Stripes:

My outfit features an Old Navy Perfect long sleeve tee with navy horizontal stripes. The pattern is simple and classic and pairs easily with another print. Those neutral navy and white tones give the tee versatility, and make it matchable with almost anything. I also happen to love nautically-influenced clothes, so striped tees are a staple in my wardrobe.

2. The Plaid:

Those plaid slacks are undoubtedly the most cherished pair of pants in my closet. The Joe Fresh trousers fit beautifully and I wish I could find more pants with this cut. Some may be intimidated by the thought of wearing plaid pants, but that’s because most people think of bright colors and high-contrast patterns when the word “plaid” gets thrown around. The key in making this mixed-print ensemble look cohesive is finding colors that are subdued and understated. They just can’t contrast highly with each other. This pair of pants, for instance, blends earthy browns and maroons with neutrals like navy, making the pattern less in your face. That navy in the pant ties in nicely with the navy stripes of the tee, doesn’t it?

3. Finishing Touches:

To complete my outfit, I wore a black hat, black oxfords and a tan leather backpack: all neutral tones that mesh well with the other pieces I chose. I also sported white ankle socks, which used to be a taboo. These days socks are becoming one of the trendiest ways to accessorize for both men and women. It’s important not to mix too many prints together in a single outfit — I like to keep it to two, three at most, depending on the complexity and noisiness of the pattern.

Although I wore stripes on the top and plaid on the bottom, a cute outfit could definitely come from the inverse as well. A checkered button-up paired with pinstripe trousers would achieve a sweet collegiate look.

If you’re still apprehensive about mixing prints, just remember that Beyonce’s baby sister Solange is a huge fan of the practice. So give it a go! After all, rules are meant to be bent and broken.

For Bmod, I’m Justine Crawford.

All Images: Justine Crawford

Header and Featured Image Credit: “Plaid” by Marcus Quigmire. Licensed under CC Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic via WikiMedia Commons.