Advanced Coordinating: #8 - Mixing Patterns

After the brain-bending that was the last post in this series I think we all deserve something a bit easier to digest. Mixing patterns was one of the first suggestions I received, left on the very first video in a comment by Dr Papillon and at first I thought that I wasn’t the best person to talk about this, that I don’t mix patterns that much. But then not only I found a fantastic resource that I could use to supplement the post with - I also realised that I mixed patterns more than I thought I did. Or that at least I started branching out into that side of coordinating more since the start of 2020. So let’s talk mixing patterns and how to prevent it from looking like you stopped caring, rolled inside your wardrobe and emerged dressed in whatever had stuck.

It may seem odd to lead the post with that, but if your entire point is to look as if you grabbed clothes at random and be the most headache-inducing clusterfuck around, then Mana speed you! Embrace the chaos inside you and turn it into fashion, you have my blessing. That kind of look is more to do with intentionality than with any sort of rules on when, how or whether to mix patterns, so this post may not be quite for you. Those intent on mixing patterns in a less obnoxious way and looking for tips on how to avoid overwhelming an outfit (or its admirers), or looking to get the most out of all those sets they bought over the years - carry on reading.

Despite being an alternative fashion with its own set of rules, lolita fashion is surprisingly adaptable to mainstream fashion guidelines. Which could play a part in why mixing patterns is something that has us scared or hesitant, since it’s considered a fashion faux pas in mainstream looks too. And yet people do it. A lot of things passed down as ‘rules’ are just suggestions: they don’t mean that no-one can pull them off, and instead they try to deter people from trying too big a challenge too soon. Between what I’ve figured out myself and what I’ve picked up from others, mixing patterns successfully seems to boil down to three broad tricks: theme, size, and placement.

Although size and placement are equally important, I’d like to start with themes as this may be an easier introduction for some people. It’s a known fact that certain themes simply lend themselves to mixing patterns. This could be because the theme itself is characterised by a degree of visual clutter or because it’s something where mixed patterns traditionally feature. Once again you may need to reach for some of the same tips that apply to intentionality with a degree of willingness to just embrace the bold look. Depending on your specific outfit theme, sometimes you will rely more on embracing things (oldschool lolita is a particularly great example here), while other times you will have the intrinsic nature of your theme as a crutch to lean on (e.g. punk). As long as your overall coord remains identifiable as that theme, mixing patterns should actually work in your favour rather than against you.

My own examples will rely on circus lolita through Angelic Pretty’s Fantasy Theater Gilet JSK. Although hidden amidst muted colours in the background, the print itself has a diamond pattern behind that bright circus scene. But as we’re already used to seeing bold geometric shapes in circus-inspired looks, bringing something else to the mix is rarely a bad thing. My own examples are pretty tame, since circus lolita isn’t a theme that I reach for that often, nonetheless you can see it in various degrees of intensity here, predominantly through legwear. Compare the diamond x diamond coord from April 2019 with the diamond x stripes from March 2020. And for extra boldness, have a look at my “Break the rules” post from the AYWi30C series, where I’ve used both striped and diamond socks with the addition of mismatched boots. Any of these could’ve gone bolder, with blouses in patterns matching the socks, had I had them, and the coords would only look all the more whimsical for it rather than cluttered or overwhelming. A solid theme like this can actually be an easy way of trying out mixing patterns with relatively low risks, if you’re not quite sure of yourself yet.

Any of the above would've looked good with this print in any of the other colourways too, where the background diamond pattern is much more pronounced. Or with any other circus print, for that matter.

Having said this, the more confident you are with the size and placement of your patterns, the better the outcome will be. In the context of lolita fashion you can almost treat them in a similar way to colours. Sandwiching patterns, just like sandwiching colours, would ensure an even and balanced distribution by providing you with a template. And for your pattern mixing to be guaranteed to work, you will have to give some consideration to colours too, ensuring that at the very least they are either complimenting or in a similar shade. But just like with colours, I’d like to encourage you to think beyond the safe templates and give things a go before you decide against them.

So starting with size, let me relay to you the advice I first picked up from Dandy Wellington’s video (which btw I cannot recommend highly enough if you want a quick master class in coordinating outfits - even though it’s menswear, you really can apply a lot of his words to lolita): mixing smaller patterns with larger ones helps avoid clutter. This applies both to the size of the patterns themselves and to how prominent they are within the coord (though this leans more into placement). Basically, if your main piece has a large pattern running through it, you would pick pieces that have a smaller pattern on them to make the mix more balanced and avoid two bold things fighting for attention.

Personally, over the course of 2020, I have found myself reaching for a combination of stripes and polka dots enough times to notice it. Although I could do this with other pieces now, my most trusted formula centred around this particular offbrand top - so for once my example coords revolve around the same builder piece rather than the same main piece. The stripes on this top are distinct, made all the more so by the high-contrast black and white colour palette. So when I pair it with another pattern, in both of these cases with polka dots, I make sure to pick items with dots that are smaller and denser, which blend more easily, allowing the stripes to be the standout feature. In case of the Metamorphose JSK from June 2020, the dots are very tiny and identifiable as dots only from up close. Whilst I’ve ensured that the top is the feature point by using the JSK as a skirt, I have also brought more polka dots into the mix through the scarf on my head. Whereas with the actual skirt coord from February 2021, because I threw an additional colour into the mix and because the dots are slightly larger, though still not as prominent as the stripes on the top, I refrained from adding more. Both of those coords benefit from styling that’s inspired much more by larme and retro fashions than by lolita, which also helps balance the pattern mixing a bit more. However, I could’ve easily changed the styling to more traditionally lolita and by sticking to the same principles achieved the same effect. At least as far as the pattern mixing goes.

It's fine if you personally don't think that either of those coords is lolita - the fact remains that the pattern mixing is done well.

When it comes to the placement of your patterned pieces, this goes hand in hand with the matter of size. The key is to avoid crowding too many visually striking things into one area and spread them out if possible. Dandy Wellington exemplified that in his video by using patterned socks, bow ties and shirts with his striking striped jacket. For lolitas this could involve similar pieces, blouses and legwear, but also hair accessories, bags, certain overlayers etc. Putting big pieces with big patterns one on top of another is what makes our eyes and heads spin. So spread the patterned pieces around, give them their own space, and I’m sure the various elements of your coord will click into place.

As you’ve probably noticed by now, I enjoy using legwear as my area of choice for the pattern placement. Given that a typical lolita dress is knee-length, this gives me a significant area to play with to introduce patterns. As much as I enjoy patterned blouses, my own collection of those is still pretty small since I’m picky as to what I get. Nonetheless, both arms and legs are a significant area to play with in lolita. Which is how the polka dots manage to work with tartan in this (arguably barely lolita) coord from May 2020. And how the stripes manage that same feat in this May 2021 coord. Once again, the themes are pulling these outfits into a place where the mixed patterns add to the overall concept rather than detract with unnecessary clutter. Even with this dress being on the shorter end for me, there is still more of the tartan than there is of the other patterns. With legs you can easily just pick a pattern you feel is complimentary, whereas with blouses I’d suggest checking how prominent the pattern is against your primary one. And if it’s too bold, you can diminish it by sticking to smaller patterns or picking short sleeve ones or even covering most of the sleeves with another layer to keep the secondary pattern, well, secondary by showing less of it.

Full disclosure: I completely forgot that the left coord used solid legwear and not polka dot one, so in the video below you'll hear me refer to it as if it's the legwear that's patterned and not the top. Oops!

Those are the rough basics. Just like when playing with colour, experimenting is the way towards finding what works for you. Throw enough intentionality into the mix and who’s to stop you from whatever power move you have up your sleeve? In fact, with lolita fashion spending so many years wrapped in the safety blanket of solid builder pieces, it is up to those experimenting souls who brave trying things outside the box to make mixing patterns more commonly seen. I certainly remember the days when striped legwear was about as interesting as things got. Nowadays we are getting more patterned pieces: florals, stripes, dots, hearts, diamonds, tartans, ginghams, novelty prints, whatever your heart desires. So take advantage of that while you can if mixing patterns is something you’d like to do. After all, wearing bold patterns in an already gaudy fashion like lolita is not for the faint hearted to begin with, so embrace that.

Sadly, the paragraph above means that finding a lolita inspiration to offer specifically for mixing patterns is quite a challenge. Part of me is inclined to simply send you looking through old issues of FRUiTS, KERA and GLB, with maybe a dose of checking out other fashion styles and accounts. But then I remembered that I was being dumb and letting brain fart rule over me, because I do know someone whose pattern mixing always makes me feel like I’m super schematic myself: my friend Lu or @frilly_vanilly_cos on Instagram. For her mixing patterns is as much of a personal style stamp as it is a nod to the oldschool and punk styles that she favours. Would I ever have thought about pairing Innocent World’s Strawberry Field Animals print with a bright pink cardigan with fruits crocheted on it? Hell no. Do I love it? Wholeheartedly! Whether it’s a full on headache-inducing pattern overload or a carefully selected statement piece, @frilly_vanilly_cos mixes them with expertise that makes me feel free just looking at it and inspires me to go charity shopping to hunt down that perfect vintage piece that will actually complement lolita like nothing else ever could.

Even the most pattern-heavy of Lu's looks do not feel like they're too much. And damn, I just love everything she does with this cardigan!
All pictures from @frilly_vanilly_cos Instagram.

Though all things considered, I do feel that if learning more about mixing patterns is something you’d like to do, the best place to start with are non-lolita fashion accounts. Lolita at large is still putting tentative steps on that path, despite fantastic efforts from the oldschoolers amongst us, while other fashion styles have been doing this for years. So I’d encourage you to broaden your horizons, expand your pool of inspiration with something completely fresh, then pick the tips and tricks from the people who have been mixing patterns for years to apply into lolita fashion - that is what has helped me most. And trust yourself. As I keep saying, the Advanced Coordinating series is intended for those who already know how to build a good coord and want to push it to be the best coord they could make. This means that even if it doesn’t work out, you will be able to draw conclusions out of it and find out what you need to do next to make it work. Or you’ll discover that you like the outcome regardless of how ‘objectively successful’ it may be. Whichever one it ends up for you, I hope that you have fun in the process. Because mixing patterns is totally pointless if you’re not doing it for fun.