Lately, I’ve been experimenting with wearing multiple patterns at once. This style of dressing is something I’ve always been a little nervous of, so I started slowly, with double stripes. Little by little, I’ve been incorporating more pattern diversity into my wardrobe, and I’ve had a lot of fun doing so! Here’s what I’ve learned.

Consider color

If you’re wearing two versions of the same pattern (e.g. stripes), try to pick colors on the same spectrum. In this outfit, I chose a striped shirt and a striped sweater. Both blues coordinated with each other, and the sweater’s cream stripe went nicely with the shirt’s brighter white. 

Pay attention to spacing

I find it distracting when patterns have competing spacing. If you’re wearing a small floral print, try tying a sweater with wider spacing between stripes around your shoulders. My friend Heather does this brilliantly in this Molly Moorkamp shift paired with the same brand’s sweater. 

When wearing different patterns, find common ground

In the outfit featured in this post, I paired a striped shirt with a vintage Fair Isle sweater. The Fair Isle pattern included the same light blue in the shirt’s stripes. Wearing both together worked well because of the matching color.

What are your tips for wearing multiple patterns? Please share in the comments below!