Soul Angel

She's a style maven, self-made DJ and an utterly amazing, soulful singer. 

Not to mention beautiful beyond measure.

If you dont know who Solange Knowles is by now then I'm sorry, you've seriously been missing out.
The now 26 year-old has carved a well-deserved place for herself in the fashion world. Seems like since day one, she's decided to stand out from under her larger-than-life older sister Beyoncé. I remember when her second album came out in 2008 titled Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams. You may remember some of her popular songs from it like T.O.N.Y, I Decided, and Sandcastle Disco. If you've seen the music videos for either of those songs, then you know that her style was a force to reckon with then and even more so now.
Let me just say this, she's beast at mixing prints. A print connoisseur I'll say. She can easily pull off loud outfits that would scare the pinstriped pants off of any style rookie [see what I did there? ;) ]. Safe to say that fusing different prints is not for everyone, and thats okay. I'll tell you now it kinda scares me too, but the beauty of fashion is that you get to experiment; the only thing is making sure you know the right techniques so you can successfully pull it off.

-Toyin

Solange for Madewell

Click below to read more!

Whether you wear same-print outfits or decide to throw a curve ball and go all out here are a few quick and easy tips on how to print-mix! (Yes, I just made that up.)


1. Stick To A Common Color: The easiest way to pull the trend off. If you stay within the realm of the same color there's no way you can mess it up. If your shirt is black and white stripes, pair it with a black and white floral skirt. If your pants are green plaid (I recently found out the official term for "green/blue plaid" is Tartan) then pick a top or blouse with some green in it too. In the first picture below of Solange you can see how she chose a black and white top and black and white pants. Different patterns, same color..this rule is fail-safe.

2. Same Print, Different Color: If you're not ready to venture out onto the sidewalk catwalk known as "the streets" in an all around bold ensemble a simpler way to do this is to wear the same print, but in different hues.  Doing this can give your outfit a much sleeker, streamlined look while still breaking the mould and keeping things fresh. You can wear dots on dots or stripes on stripes or even floral on floral! Try wearing these prints in different sizes (i.e big polka-dot print shirt with a smaller polka-dot printed jeans) for a different look. 

3. Don't Mix Fabrics: Solange herself said in an interview with Glamour magazine that, "If I'm matching or clashing prints I make sure they're the same fabric. I'll do silk OR cotton" Easy-peasy right? Your outfit will look much more put-together if you dont have mismatched textures.

4. Start Small: Still nervous about taking the style plunge? Start small! Instead of mixing prints on your shirt/pants/skirt try mixing with accessories instead. Pick out a bold print belt or shoes and match it with a print bag, make sure there is a common color between the two.

5. Have "Quiet" Accessories: While your clothes may be louder than an arena of screaming little girls at a Justin Bieber concert you can still play it safe by wearing plain accessories (I mean "plain" in the chicest way possible). In all of the pictures of Solange you can see she smartly wore non-attention-grabbing shoes. Bring out your black, beige or blue flats and bags and you're good to go! Don't be afraid to add some jewelry either. If you're feeling extra gutsy, by all means, print-mix your accessories AND outfit.

6. Dress For Your Body: We all have that one article of clothing that never seems to look good on us no matter how many different ways we try to wear it. Being a curvier individual I always make sure that whatever outfit I'm wearing that day makes sense for my body type. No matter how bad I wish I looked good in a peplum top or horizontal stripes I know there are some areas of fashion I can't venture into. Keep that in mind while trying out your first print-mix. If you feel like something doesn't look right ON you then it's better to leave it at home or in the store. I'm not talking about the pattern but the fit of the clothing in general. Don't lie to yourself and think that because everyone is wearing it and it's "on trend" that you have to join the crowd. If your outfit is terrible because you refused to dress for your body type trust me, people will notice. No one wants to see your muffin top or camel toe, regardless if you're wearing Marni or TJ Maxx.  

Lastly, HAVE FUN WITH IT. This is your time to wow people.