Fashion runways are dominated by big, bold, bright prints, often with several prints mixed into one outfit.  So how can real people adapt this trend to our non-runway lives? 

 For starters, mix one print with one or more solid colors. Or mix a bold print with a mini-print, dot, stripe ... something clearly secondary. And put the more eye-catching print on the part of your body you wouldn’t mind having more of.  If you have wider hips, for example, put that attention-grabbing print on your top half.

Then follow these guidelines to find prints that flatter you, like the ones below flatter these gals.

 #1 – Buy prints that feature your most flattering colors.

 Look at the print from a distance to be sure its over-all temperature matches your own.  Just a touch of gold, orange or lime green can substantially warm an otherwise cool print.   Oddly, it doesn’t work in the reverse.  You can add cool touches to a warm print all you want, but the overall look stubbornly stays warm.

 Reds are especially critical; if a print includes shades of the red family that are not your best, you’ll be stuck for makeup when you wear the garment. You can either match your lipstick and blush to the print colors – which won’t flatter you – or wear your correct makeup shades and clash with your outfit.  Not a great set of  options.

 #2 - Watch contrast levels carefully. If the light/dark contrast within the print is greater than the light/dark contrast in your face, then it’s too much. Yes, that means black-and-white prints don’t work well for most people. Softer people need correspondingly soft, blended prints. 

 Avoid whites that grab more than their share of attention. The white in a print often looks even more intense than it really is because of the surrounding colors. 

 #3 – Look for prints that include a touch of your hair color. If your hair is multi-colored, find prints that echo its variegated effect and you’ll create an immediate visual connection between the print and you.  That link is even stronger if the shapes in the print echo the textural aspect of your hair.         

 #4 – Relate the print shapes to your facial features. If your features are straight and angular, find prints that are similarly angular. If your facial features are softly rounded, gently curved print motifs will harmonize easily.  More about this in lesson #30.

 #5 – Match the print scale to your body proportions. The palm of your hand typically defines the maximum size for an individual print motif. More about this in lesson #31.

 Print motifs appear smaller when they flow right into one another, and larger when they are spaced farther apart on a solid background. Motifs also seem smaller when they are sewn into draped styles because the folds of fabric obscure the edges of the print shapes.  The same print that might seem too big for you in a sheath dress could work fine in a softly-gathered skirt.

 #6 – Check print placement carefully. Even in the right colors, shapes and scale, you don’t want a print motif perched right over your bust or centered on your behind. 

 #7 -  Once you’ve bought a print garment that meets all these guidelines, add related pieces in coordinating solids.  If you liked the colors together in the print, chances are you’ll like the solids together as well, dramatically expanding the mix/match versatility in your closet.

 #8 – Want to try print mixing?  The easiest mixes simultaneously relate and contrast:

• Similar colors, but motifs of different scale.
• Similar scale and motifs, but different colors.

 Or try mini-prints  - dots, pin stripes, checks – mixed together or used as almost-solids to accent a floral print.

# 9 – Stripes are a related trend – especially in nautical colors.  Don’t panic at the idea of horizontal stripes. Try on the garment and really LOOK at the results.   Big, bold stripes do widen – it’s true – but that can be a good thing if you want to emphasize your upper body and balance your hips.  Smaller, evenly-spaced stripes often cause the viewer’s eye to “climb the ladder” – moving up and down your body rather than following the stripes themselves side-to-side.

Apply these tips and you'll surely find the Handsome Prints to work magic for your wardrobe.