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Category Archives: Understanding Prints & Patterns

For the Love of Prints Bannerp2

FOR THE LOVE OF PRINTS: pt 2

By | How To..., Understanding Prints & Patterns, Wardrobe Savvy | No Comments

This week I continue my feature on prints by looking at the design elements of prints and how to select ones that are best ones for you. You’ll be surprized that once you know this information your unconscious brain will be ever on the look-out for them.

Design Elements that Impact Size

Size/Scale

The rule is simple here: the bigger the print, the bigger you’ll appear to be. The best prints are ones that are scaled to harmonize and flatter your scale. If you are a petite go for prints that are small to medium, if you are medium to tall and not overly overweight medium-small to medium-large prints are best for you. Tall gals with a likewise weight can wear medium-small to large prints and if you are plus size, go with prints that are medium to medium-large. 


Petite Scale _ Prints

Source

Plus Size_Prints

Color

The overall color of your print will also make a difference to both your size. Light and bright prints tend to be enlarging while darker prints minimize size. Medium depth prints, on the other hand, are neutral in their effect.

Plus Size_Value

 Source

Color Contrast

Another impactor of apparent size is the contrast of prints. The greater the contrast between the colors the larger you will appear general rule applies to color contrast: the higher the contrast, the wider you will appear to be. If you love big prints but find them too enlarging try finding a large print in a low contrast. The subtleness of the low contrast will mitigate the enlarging effect of the print’s size. 

Contrast

Print Direction

Being able to recognize the direction of a print allows to to chose the one that will best work for you.  Send the eye vertically and you’ll make the area appear longer and/or narrower. horizontally and you’ll appear wider and possibly shorter. Multi directional prints are easiest to wear because they do not have a major direction.  

Worth mentioning here too are complex prints.  These are geometric/angular prints which have a complex design that does not allow the eye to rest in any one area.  These are incredible at breaking up the body and can achieve minor miracles in the visual slimming stakes.

Directional Prints

Print Location

Where you place a print is also important.  Are you larger below your waist like Girl with Curves blogger Tanesha Awasthi? Then prints on your top half will flatter you most.  Larger above the waist…yep, prints below your waist are the way to go.

When selecting dresses keep scale, color and direction top of mind.

Print Placement_Triangle

I hope you enjoyed this edition of Style Clinic.

There’s more to learn about prints and the impact they have on your image but I’ll leave that topic for another day.

Do You Love Style and Fashion?

If the answer is yes, a career as an image consultant may be perfect for you.

I have launched my online Style and Image Management course and I’m offering a Special Introductory Price while I add all the video in. The course is internationally certified with CEU’s and comes with 12 months of post course follow-up and 6 months membership as a consultant with Image Innovators (my company). When complete the cost will be $1495.00 but for a limited time it is $950.

This is the link where you can request the topic outline for all our courses.

This is the link to our online academy with discount added.

 

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If you enjoyed this week’s feature
please like it on Facebook or Instagram
or leave a comment/question below.
Thank you.
Ann Reinten AICI CIP
Author


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FOR THE LOVE OF PRINTS: pt 1

By | How To..., Understanding Prints & Patterns, Wardrobe Savvy | No Comments

Take a moment to peer into your closet. What do you see, lots of prints or more solid colored garments?

For as long as I can remember I’ve been a lover of prints, to me, they’re more interesting than solid colors and my preference for them stems from my coloring and personal style.  

Ann Prints

Like most things, too much of something is rarely a good idea; too many prints and your outfit can appear noisy and/or haphazard, too many solid colored outfits and you risk looking a little boring.

Prints and patterns are design elements which I believe deserve at least twenty percent of your wardrobe. They add interest, can display your personality, elevate or lower the formality of an outfit and even change it’s overall mood. Understanding about prints and patterns and what makes them work is important in working out which ones will work best for you.

Recently, I’ve been writing and recording lessons for our new online image consultant course and thought you may also enjoy some of what I’m teaching.

First off, let’s start with the difference between prints and patterns. A print is a motif or design printed onto a fabric. While a pattern is a motif or design that can either be woven or printed into a fabric. Therefore, all patterns are prints but prints are not patterns.

Prints verses Patterns

Now that we understand prints and patterns a bit better, here some of the major categories of prints :

  • Geometric: shapes made from geometry
  • Linear/Lineal: Straight lines
  • Florals: Flowers
  • Abstract: Images of objects distorted from how they look in reality
  • Animal
  • Ethnic/Tribal: Art that originates from specific regions, ethnic or tribal groups
  • Motif: clearly repeated designs, think shoes, leaves, elephants, butterflies etc
  • Graphic: Images generated on a computer 

Print categories

These categories can further be grouped into classics and fads. It’s important to make this distinction because classics prints and patterns are worth investing in if the garment is also classic in style, while fads are trends that are unlikely to last beyond a season.

Classic Prints and Patterns

The following prints and patterns have withstood the test of time. These kinds of prints and patterns have proven to be, time and time again, wardrobe staples that remain elegant, chic, and sophisticated.

STRIPES

There are three kinds of stripes: vertical, horizontal, and diagonal.

Vertical stripes are more flattering when the stripes are closer to each other and thinner. The wider the stripe, the distance between the stripes and/or the higher the color contrast between the stripes, the wider you will seem to appear to be. An especially noteworthy stripe when it comes to work wear style is the menswear-inspired pinstripe. Horizontal stripes, on the other hand, are perceived as more relaxed and casual. While diagonal stripes are seen as creative and individual. The same styling rule applies to diagonal and horizontal stripes as they do to vertical stripes.  

Stripes

FLORAL

Floral prints are no longer limited to spring/summer. They can be worn year round. The feel of a floral print or pattern is dictated by its color palette, the closeness of of the images to reality and the type of flowers.

Light or pastel florals convey romance, innocence, and femininity. Dark florals express more strength and are therefore more suited to business wear. Those with a background in a similar depth to your hair will look most at home on you. Bright florals are seen as youthful and fun and are especially appropriate in the summer. Abstract floral prints are creative on trend at the moment. Liberty florals have a retro feel and are typically smaller in scale. Lastly, folk floral prints are bohemian-inspired and have more of a BoHo influence.

Florals

PLAIDS

The major categories of plaid are glen plaid, tartan, windowpane check, madras check and gingham. Both glen plaid and tartan are menswear inspired and are great for office dressing. Meanwhile, madras checks are for more casual occasions. The same can be said for gingham, no matter what the silhouette gingham is a casual and playful print that is best reserved for social occasions.

Windowpane checks are great for your work wear wardrobe. We would advise you to wear only one piece in windowpane check as it can get overwhelming. However, a head-to-toe windowpane check suit can work for those who work in more creative industries. 

Plaids

ANIMAL

A major group within the animal print family is that of the wildcats. Leopard, tiger, and cheetah prints are classics that will never go out of style. Every year and every season, we spot these wildcat prints on major runways. Leopard is practically a neutral!  All jokes aside, these wildcat prints and patterns exude an undeniable drama, sex appeal, and strength. Zebra and giraffe prints are unexpected incarnations of the animal print and express a more creative side. Python prints express that same drama and glamour as the wildcat prints. However, python prints can be too much so to be on the safe side opt for them as accessories. Lastly, cow/pony and dalmatian prints are quirky, unusual and even comical. These two prints are definitely more on the casual spectrum. Cow/pony prints can also be enlarging, so proceed with caution.

Wild Prints 1

WildPrints 2

SPOTS/DOTS

People either love or hate the spot/dot print. A trend that can be traced back to the 40s-50s and still remains relevant today, the spot/dot is certainly here to stay. Even spaced spots are more retro, and smaller, uneven spots look more modern and more suited to wear in a corporate setting. Pop art spots and confetti spots in varying colors are whimsical prints that translate to daytime or party wear.

Spots and Dot Prints

PAISLEY

Originating in India, paisley prints and patterns were made fashionable by the British. This print is very strong in bohemian fashion. When donned as an abstract print, paisley can be appropriate for business casual events.

Paisley

CAMOUFLAGE

The army origins of the camouflage print give it a rugged, masculine and casual image. This print is enjoying a trend renaissance right now. Camouflage is becoming big in the street wear scene. 

Camouflage Prints

FAD PRINTS & PATTERNS

Fads come and go. So while these patterns and prints are fun, it is unlikely that these will last more than a season or two. You’ll be much better off going for these prints and patterns as low investment pieces in your wardrobe. Though their longevity isn’t the best, it makes a great impact for the season.

PALM

Resort wear and summer-inspired, palm prints and patterns are great in fun silhouettes like rompers and cropped tops.

ILLUSION

This may be the only exception to the ‘fads’ rule. Part geometric and part linear, illusion prints can last you more than season especially when done in neutrals.

COMIC

Comic prints are pop art influenced and are typically loud and in-your-face. Proceed with caution, comic prints can make a major statement but can be enlarging.

MOTIF

Motifs occur every season. Repeats of either tropical motifs like birds of paradise for summer, leaves for fall, map prints for winter; all of these are unique motifs that can elevate your look. 

Fad Prints

In part 2 I’ll cover the in’s and out’s of wearing coordinating prints.

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If you enjoyed this week’s feature
please like it on Facebook or Instagram
or leave a comment/question below.
Thank you.
Ann Reinten AICI CIP
Author


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A STRIPED AFFAIR

By | Coordination, Line and Design, Understanding Prints & Patterns, Wardrobe Savvy | 13 Comments

This week I’m changing up my feature up a bit by focusing on a pattern – stripes to be precise.

They are almost as wearable as solid colors and a must-have in any woman’s wardrobe. Their versatility allows multiple ways to coordinate them with your favorite garments and depending which stripe you use you can easily create either a relaxed vibe or a serious edge to your look.

And I’m starting at the beginning because I’ve often found that when you start with the historical aspect of a garment, fabric or pattern, it often yields many insights that make sense of their use in the present, and why we perceived a certain way when we wear them.

Historically, women have borrowed or have been influenced by many menswear items. Stripes were originally a major part of men’s suiting and casual wear, but many important historical and fashion figures have influenced the way they have been used within fashion.

Vertical Stripes

History

The world famous London Savile Row is considered by many to be the capital of menswear tailoring. Hugh Holland, the managing director of Kilgour French Stanbury, one of the stores on Savile Row, states that the pin stripes we know and wear today originated from bank uniform around the 19th century. London, being a commerce capital during that time, was definitely the place where fashions emerged. A striped trouser paired with a casual morning coat was the uniform of the financiers of the 19th century. More interestingly, each bank had a specific type of stripe so  their brand and employees could be easily identified.

History PinstripeSource: Image 1, Image 2, Image 3, Image 4

No one is really quite sure of the exact starting point when the vertical pin stripe was introduced to the public. However, there is another popular theory that the pinstripe came about in the glitzy decade of the 1920s where fashion was such a huge part of everyday culture and lifestyle. Inspired by the boating outfits from the late 1800s, the 20s showed off pin stripes in a fun and fashionable way. Pre-Gatsby era, formalwear was quite subdued so more casual suits came forward as a way to make menswear more playful and vibrant. Take a look at vintage photos of men in pin stripes suits and you’ll start to really understand what makes these vertical pin stripes so wearable and chic. The thinness of the stripe makes it work appropriate, but you can just as easily jazz up vertical stripes with bolder accessories and styling. Pin stripes wouldn’t be the first trend that women have adopted into their own fashion realm and it certainly won’t be the last, since fashion is always changing and borrowing inspiration from the opposite gender. Here are some perfect examples of women’s tailored suits, from vintage to modern:

women pinstripe1Source: Image 1, Image 2, Image 3

If you want to look toward current trends, bold and graphic stripes are the vertical stripe look of the moment. While historically, pin stripes are the reigning kind of vertical stripes, current trends and style have been dictating more graphic, statement-making large vertical stripes.

How They’re Perceived

With a history associated with professional endeavors and formal events, the vertical stripe is seen as powerful, professional and authoritative. Variations of the stripe include pencil and chalk with each gaining their name from the width of the line created by the pin, pencil or piece of chalk. The narrower the stripe, closer together and more classic the stripe color, the more formal the impression they will create. If you are seeking the most professional look, opt for stripes in color pairings of neutral hues like black, navy, and white.

women in pinstripesSource: Image 1, Image 2, Image 3, Image 4, Image 5

One last vertical stripe worth mentioning is the gangster stripe. Stereotyped more from movie myth than truth, the fact remains that if you wear it, you run the risk of being seen as theatrically contrived than stylish.

Gangster Stripes

Visual Effects and Styling Tips

It’s virtually a no-brainer that vertical stripes are slimming. The vertical line naturally encourages the eye to travel up and down elongating and visually slimming the area. Here are some more vertical features you may want to look for if you want to increase the slimming effect:

  • One central stripe as a focal point of the garment
  • Many thin stripes close together
  • Low color contrast in between the stripes
  • Vertical stripes worn over your largest area
  • Long length vertical garments
  • Don’t wear vertical stripes over areas where you are curvy as the stripes will stretch out of shape.

Try to avoid wearing one prominent stripe to the side if you are wide, as this can make you look wider. A central stripe is best when you wish to look taller or slimmer. When opting for vertical striped pants, avoid fabrics that stretch as this will warp, hug, and expand over your fullest areas.

To read more about styling with vertical design lines see: The Vertical Advantage

Wearing vertical stripesSource: Image 1, Image 2, Image 3, Image 4 

Horizontal Stripes

History

Dis you know that during medieval times, you could get sent to prison for simply wearing striped clothing? It’s true. Stripes were for prisoners, and well, evil people. We, along with the fashion industry, have definitely evolved from that belief. Now, stripes have moved on from their negative medieval connotations and have become one of the most coveted patterns for fashion.

From the 1800s onwards, horizontal stripes became one of the fashion staples that we know and love today. Queen Victoria dressed her son Prince Albert in a striped sailor suit aboard the Royal Yacht, and from then on stripes were firmly in the public eye. The 19th century then saw the popularity of the horizontally striped Breton shirt worn by French navy men. Coco Chanel, however, gets the ultimate credit for bringing horizontal stripes into the 20th century when she sold it from her store. From then on, pop culture and fashion icons like Audrey Hepburn, Pablo Picasso, Brigitte Bardot, and Andy Warhol further popularized the striped Breton Shirt in the following decades. Nowadays, modern fashion icons like Kate Moss, Emma Stone, and Alexa Chung are huge fans of stripes, and are often photographed wearing this eponymous pattern and styling it in different ways.

History of Horizontal StripesSource: Image 1, Image 2, Image 3, Image 4

CelebrityStripes

Source: Image 1, Image 2, Image 3, Image 4, Image 5  

How They’re Perceived

Definitely more laid-back than vertical stripes, horizontal stripes are the more casual and sporty of the two kinds of stripes. For business wear they are best left for your business casual days.

One of the most famous and frequent fashion comebacks is the Breton top and it can be relied on to give your look a chic, nautical image. While these stripes do have a definite sporty or casual stereotype there’s no need to feel trapped into the looks as there are many ways to dress the stripes up through the use of tailoring, color, sheen and shine, texture and accessories. 

CasualstripesSource: Image 1, Image 2, Image 3, Image 4

DressyHorizontalStripes

Glam up Your Horizontal Stripes Ideas

Source: Image 1, Image 2, Image 3Image 4Image 5  

Visual Effects and Styling Tips

Horizontal stripes can be a bit tricky, but don’t listen to people that say they aren’t flattering. Pulling off a pattern is all about styling and finding the right fit for your body and personal style. With the right elements, horizontal stripes can even be, dare I say it, slimming. Here are some tips to make sure that horizontal stripes slim you down:

  • Look for garments with many thin stripes close together
  • Choose low to medium color contrast between the stripes. Think monochromatic like navy and midnight blue stripes or red and maroon stripes
  • Ensure the garment is longer than it is wide (the middle photo below is too short).
  • For pants and skirts look for sturdier fabrics with some elasticity.
  • Wear the horizontal stripe over your smallest area.
  • Consider your body type. Full figured women can get away with slightly wider stripes while petites should opt for thinner lines.
  • Be mindful of the garment silhouette a striped item comes in.

Horizontal Styling Tips

Source: Image 1, Image 2, Image 3

To read more about styling with vertical design lines see: Horizontal Help.

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If you enjoyed this week’s feature
please like it on Facebook or Instagram
or leave a comment/question below.
Thank you.
Ann Reinten AICI CIP
Author