How To Mix Textures and Patterns

Ah, we are finally cooling down here in Southern California and there is actually a chill in the air! It’s that time of year when we start to layer, so today I’m sharing some ideas for how to mix textures and patterns.

Styling textures and patterns in fashion is very much like designing a room. A useful tip is to think of your room in layers, as doing this will break it down into small manageable pieces and create depth in the overall look. Mixing textures and patterns in an outfit works in much the same way.

How to Mix Textures and Patterns

The Look

What is the secret of successfully putting together a mix of textures and patterns when it comes to clothing? It is combining different textures and styles that work together, like velvet and satin, lace and leather, chunky woolens and smooth knits, bold florals over stripes. This fall, we’re seeing lots of layering of many textures and patterns to create a rich look.

So, how to start?

Start with a piece that you want to design around. For me, it was this striped tee. It’s a very basic piece with a banded crew neck and long sleeves. The stripes are in neutral shades of black, brown, and a pinky-tan: the kind of colors you just know will go with so many things in your closet!

It’s that time of year to pull out your black jeans (if you haven’t already!) and think about the multitude of ways you can style them. The softness of the cotton tee and the rough texture of the jeans sets up the first layer of contrast.

Adding a leather jacket creates the second layer of contrast and the cognac color is a great basic that goes with almost anything. To play up the cognac, I added a solid belt in the same shade.

Accessories

The final layer is the accessories. Leopard print in the mules picks up the many colors in the tee and the jacket and the suede texture adds interest.

For the last touch, an antique-style necklace with a combination of chain and pearl with a medallion provides another mix of texture and pattern to the mix.

A neutral lip color was my choice for this natural-hued outfit. Once again, my lipstick of choice is from Color My World lipsticks. The shade is Coco Razz, While I normally shy away from brown tones as they can wash out on my yellow skin tone, this one was recommended for all skin tones. Here is the description of this shade: Our Coco Razz shade is a creamy warm light coco brown color. Not too shiny yet not too matte. It is a perfect in-between that moisturizes your lips and is great for all skin tones!

So I gave it a try and love wearing it with neutral looks like this outfit with a mix of subtle textures and patterns.

Whatever you choose, mixing different textures will surely create a more individualistic and personal approach to your outfit. Don’t be afraid to mix textures and patterns that you normally would not. Keep experimenting with the pieces, and you will be surprised at the unique combinations that really work together. The key to success is in the contrast.

Here are the actual and similar pieces: