There’s a delicate balance you need to perfect in order to really make a statement piece work in your wardrobe. If you do it wrong, it wears you, and no one wants to play second banana to even a special vintage sweater. I absolutely love this chunky colorful little number (which is, of course, a vintage piece I snagged off a clearance rack in an obscure shop), but it definitely does require a little bit of styling to make it work.
My favorite trick to balancing out a really loud piece of clothing is to give it a little — not too much — competition. Mixing patterns, if executed with a delicate hand, is just the thing to make the look as a whole a full-on statement. Done right, this method will ensure you wear it with confidence, and receive the appropriate adulation for pulling to off without looking like a caricature in a funny sweater.
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There Are Rules to Mixing Patterns
You’re not surprised I’ve got a system for this, are you? Of course not. When doing anything on an “expert” scale of style, you need to follow the rules. If you’re going to mix patterns in an effort to turn a statement piece into a statement look, the rules are not hard, but they are most certainly specific.
1 Don’t overwhelm the focal piece. Everything you pair with your statement article needs to either complement or enhance the theme of that article of clothing. In the example in this post, I’m using a statement necklace with complementary shapes of the knit from the sweater, plus a snakeskin clutch that has a more subdued pattern and a complimentary color scheme to the sweater.
2 Choose a tight color palette. The only pieces I’ve paired with my sweater are in colors that exist in the sweater itself. This results in a very blue look here, but your eye accepts it as a look that works and does not clash.
3 Keep the silhouette simple. when your statement look involves mixing patterns or color, as this one does, don’t make the mistake of adding a lot of extraneous layers or other styling details. A simple cuff on the arm, and a french tuck at the waist are all that is needed to make the silhouette look put together and “styled”. Anything more would likely be too much and take away from the overall look.
Want more? I’ve got an even deeper system of wearing that statement piece over and over again so you don’t end up feeling like you can only pull it out once a season. After all, we buy the things that speak to us so they can be shown off, not so we end up feeling like they’re too statement-y to be on a regular rotation.
Do you have a piece in your wardrobe that you have been struggling to style because it is “too much”. Try these tips, and let me know how it goes. Maybe I can help.
XOXO,
