Prints are perplexing. Puzzling. Problematic. Kind of like my fixation on alliteration. But I digress. :) Prints create the most confusion when I’m teaching about style, and I don’t blame you. It’s not always easy for me to explain why some prints work, and some don’t. Part of it is practice, and part of it is an awareness of what’s modern and current and in style. And then part of it is personal preference. That last part is the part I try to leave out of my analyses. Because, at the end of the day, prints are PERSONAL.
My job, as your virtual personal stylist and fashion friend, is to help you sift through the frumpy and find the fabulous, the modern, the elegant, whether or not they are my personal favorites. There’s a common misconception that stylists want their clients or audience to dress like them, but that’s really more the job of an influencer. A good stylist wants to help you bring out the best version of YOUR style.
So, today, I try to break down why some prints work and some don’t. We get into trendy prints and those that are dated, and how a style and a print interact to create an item that is modern or one that is out of style.
But first, some general thoughts:
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Prints Are Personal
I alluded to this already but within the vast selection of chic and modern prints, there are going to be some that you love and others that you loathe. That doesn’t make the print not modern. It just means that it doesn’t align with your personal style. These are two different things. There are dozens of modern prints that I don’t love, but it’s important to recognize the difference between dated prints and prints I simply don’t love.
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It’s about the Print & The Piece
It’s the interaction between the print and the item of clothing that often plays the biggest role. A modern stripe on a dated cold shoulder tunic is still going to look out of style, while a so-so print on a simple, fuss-free button-down can work. Rule of Thumb: A mediocre top can look a lot better with a great print, and a timeless top can be ruined by a bad one.
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Prints Can Be Age-Specific
I hardly ever say this about ANYTHING, but some prints can be easier to pull off at 20 then 60, and not because they are too modern, but because they are too classic. Potentially wishy-washy or frumpy prints can work on someone who is really young, but on a more mature woman, they can look off.
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Safe Prints
Some prints are generally safe bets, except, of course, when they’re not (i.e. a good print on a bad item). These include:
Animal prints
Animal prints, especially neutral simple ones or those with a neutral and a single color, are timeless and almost always going to be in style, although they do go in and out of the spotlight a little. Python, cheetah, leopard, snake, etc especially are usually a fab and fashionable choice.
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Botanical Prints
Simple botanical-inspired or leafy prints are generally a safe bet, including more abstract ones like this.
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Bold Stripes
Clean bold stripes, both vertical and horizontal, are almost always a great choice, especially in a neutral plus white.
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Black and White Prints
Black and white (or navy and white) prints are generally safe, unless combined with a bad silhouette. Here are some examples of good and bad black/white prints. Notice it’s the style, more than the print, that makes the different here.
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Dangerous Prints
These prints are detrimental to your style. Approach at your own risk. :)
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Bordered Prints
Prints with contrasting borders are out of style and look dated and not chic.
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Bad Statements
Statement shirts should be elegant and artistic, or pretty and feminine, or bold and interesting but these sad, washed out motifs are neither. Instead, they instantly drag down even the most modern style.
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Frumpy Florals
Florals can be fabulous or fatal. These florals fall into the latter category.
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Basic Paisley
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Trending Prints of 2024
Prints can come in and out of style, and even the timeless ones (polka dots, animal prints) can go in and out of favor, Here, some of the more trending prints of the year.
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Postcard/Landscape Prints
Scenic postcard and landscape prints are a fresh and pretty option for 2024.
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Blurred Prints
These soft prints are a lovely option, especially for “non-print” people.
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Abstract & Watercolor Prints
These artistic prints are a fun and different option for spring.
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Polka Dots
Polka dots, like stripes and animal prints, are timeless, but there are good versions and bad versions of everything. The best polka dots are simple, and show up in modern designs. The good/bad examples below all feature great modern polka dots (all sizes of dots are modern and in style), so it’s the style of the item and not the pattern that makes the difference here.
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Good & Bad Florals
A fabulous floral LOOKS expensive, or artistic, or simple and clean and pretty. It does not look busy, or faded, or basic. Here are examples of good and bad florals.
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Bad Florals
They’re loud and splashy and anything but chic.
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Good Print Brands
These contemporary brands are known for great prints!
- Farm Rio
- L’Agence
- Alice & Olivia
- Free People
- Diarrablue
- Fifteen Twenty
- Etro
- Monse
- Rebecca Valance
- Oscar de la Renta
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Good Brands Under $100
Here are some modern options from brands under $100. These brands include the following:
- Melloday
- Astr the Label
- Socialite
- Mango
- Topshop
- Julia Jordan
- Steve Madden
- Lost & Wander
- Chelsea 28
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Check With Me Brands
Hop into the Nada Manley Style VIP Facebook group or share your questions on social media if you’re considering a printed item from one of these brands.
- Halogen
- Vince Camuto
- Kobi Halperin
- Karen Kane (Mostly bad)
- Estelle (plus)
- Liverpool
- Sanctuary
- Eliza J
- Chaus
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