Monochromama

Sweater (Forever21, similar here), Skirt (H&M, similar here), Shoes (Boutique 9—I DIE FOR THESE) Necklaces (Dogeared and Urban Outfitters)

In keeping with my (I told you it was tiresome!) habit of mixing prints, recently I’ve taken it to the next level by experimenting with monochromatic print mixing a la this.

The key to mixing prints, monochromatic or otherwise, is staying within the same color palette, or at the very least, picking prints that have 2 or 3 colors/tones in common, and going from there. This is usually a slam-dunk for not looking boring but also not looking crazy. And lately, because of all of the black and white monochromadness (how many different ways can I make a semi-formed play on the word “monochromatic”? got 2 in my pocket already!), it’s been the penguin [<-insert any other typically black and white thing here—penguin was the first thing I thought of] color palette that I’ve been drawn to.

The pairing of the bold, geometric checkerboard pattern of that nine-dollar sweater from Forever21 (gasp) with the more intricate, ornately scrolling mirrored motif of the skirt, works because the combination is playing with the proportion and scale of the prints, while staying within the same black/white/grey color family. I also love the contrast between the two equally bold, but very different kinds of patterns (scroll-y vs. square-y). And those metallic silver pumps make me squeal.

Go, henceforth and get your...um...monochrogaga(?) on. (3 in my pocket and counting..)

Photos by the lovely and talented Rose Garrett