Clashing prints – I Like Your Shirt

For all the poor souls undergoing winter in the southern hemisphere, there is a risk that you should all take: clashing prints. It only takes a couple of mismatched stripes to render it as a failure, but a successful match can be magical.

It was seen across Milan, Paris, London and Barcelona Fall Fashion Week and has become a defining trend of 2015.

Custo at Barcelona Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2015. Getty Images

It can be quite the challenge, but makes fashion fun and exciting. Pairing different prints together have usually been a big no-no until recently, as designers and stylists have exposed the secrets to the creation of the clash.

To create the perfect clash, here are a few handy hints:

Matching colours: if you choose to wear diverse colours, ensure that they match and don’t look as though they have been put together by a clown. Using neutral shades accompanied by a bold colour works well, allowing the bold colour and print to stand out as demonstrated by Zendaya below.

Size of prints: You are destined to succeed if a small print is matched with a large print. It becomes too overwhelming if both are prominent and can potentially look as though a three-year old dressed you. Pairing a minimalistic print with a larger one causes the eye-catching print to stand out against a more plain type, and hence they compliment one another without clashing.

Marion Cotillard rocking the leopard print 'n' stripes. Getty Images — Marion Cotillard rocking the leopard print ‘n’ stripes. Getty Images

Two prints max: I would suggest no more than two different prints combined. If you delve into a third, there is a high risk of an unfortunate clash occurring.