tips to wear tropical prints
Tips to Wear Tropical Prints
Worried about how to carry off one of the biggest trends in the fashion world right now? Tropical prints are not for everyone, but that does not mean you can't learn to wear them. Just follow these tiny tips, and you should be good to go.
Let the Print be King
While mixed prints is another huge trend right about now, try to avoid using tropical prints with another pattern. Plain separates and accessories are your best bet when showing off your tropical-print-loving, stylish self.
Think Martinis, colossally vivid shades of lipsticks, Hawaiian dancers―the works. What's the first associated imagery that flashes through your mind? For most of us, it's that bright, wonderfully kaleidoscopic palette of fabrics featuring palm trees, flamingos, hibiscuses, toucans, etc.; that gorgeous print we mostly associate with tourists―tropical prints. Suddenly, and we aren't completely sure how (we think it was Gucci but the jury is still out), this pattern has become the next big thing in the fashion industry. Everyone who is anyone has been spotted wearing this trend, but where most in-vogue stuff have more hits than misses, this trend is a bit of an iffy one. Wearing it without making a huge list of blunders seems a little too difficult.
From trousers, to jackets, to shirts, skirts, and dresses, these prints have called every piece of clothing their abode without telling us how to look perfectly at home in them. So, here's what you need. Six tips that will keep you ultra stylish when you go tropical.
Practice moderation
Prints and patterns with tropical influences can be extremely overwhelming. Think bright colors and over-the-top imagery. Now imagine wearing such a bold top/skirt/pant (or any other separate that you can think of) with an equally bright and big piece of clothing. To say that it would hurt the eye would be an understatement. So, when wearing tropical prints, ensure that you wear it in moderation, and team it with neutral colors or light shades. This will ensure that your printed separate is the highlight of your outfit.
Try wearing accents
Scared of wearing too much print? Welcome to the club! There's no shame in accepting that prints just don't work for some people (yours truly included). What do you do then? Well, I suggest that you opt for clothes that have an accent feature with tropical prints―a jacket with a printed lapel, a skirt with a border, a shirt with a printed collar, pants with printed cuffs; these are all great ways of including the pattern in your outfit without it becoming too much to handle.
Accessorize prints with solids
Now, if you are one of those brave souls who is not afraid to try new things and loves the idea of adorning themselves in prints from head to toe, then ensure that the accessories you carry are muted and preferably in solid colors. This ensures that at no point of time is your accessory taking the attention away from your clothes. Also, with too many prints, your outfit can become too busy, which can often take away from the beauty of your ensemble.
Pick prints in light colors
We associate tropical prints with bright colors and vivid shades, but you can always choose to wear it in a light shade, especially if the print is closer to your face. A lighter shade gives the outfit a little respite and is not as 'in your face'. The print remains bold and big, but with the color equation having changed, it makes a huge difference in the way the outfit looks and is perceived. Also, wearing it in lighter shades gives you a little more scope for experimentation where accessories are concerned.
Use printed accessories
Considering the fact that these prints are as bold as they are, they are not suited to everyone's sense of style. If the idea of trying a whole outfit with these prints strewn about seems a bit much, then I suggest that you invest in a few pieces of accessories that use similar imagery. These accessories in the form of clutches, bags, belts, jewelry, scarves, and even shoes can be exactly what you need when you want to imbue some color and vivacity in your wardrobe. Not only can they be the cynosure of your outfit, they will also give your clothes that required spark.
Try relaxed shapes
You may wonder what the silhouette of the clothing has to do with print. Well, since we associate this print primarily with holidays, a relaxed shape enhances that sense and makes it perfect for a casual sit-down. While blazers in these prints or those with accents in these prints are all the rage, relaxed silhouettes in light shades can be just what you need to allow the print to be what it should be―a fun, vacation wear.
Say bye to being a wallflower. With these handy ideas in your kitty, there is absolutely nothing standing between you and the exquisite bouquet of colors that is tropical prints. Indulge and enjoy.