Mismatch Fashion

When I was younger, I would put together my outfits painstakingly aware of anything that didn’t objectively match. When my mother would pair her favorite blue and green patterned shirt with a pair of pants that weren’t neutral in color I would leer at her, embarrassed to be seen with a mother who clearly had no fashion sense. But apparently I had it wrong. My mother was the one with the fashion sense after all. In fact, she was a fashion forecaster.

Perhaps in an effort to gain control of our own disorder, in today’s world of fashion we commonly seek combinations that don’t “match.” Stripes with a floral print? Obviously. Stripes with a floral print and an abstract print? Yes, please.

jacket and top: Diane von Furstenberg
printed culottes: Roberto Cavalli
photo credit: Elle

photo credit: The Sartorialist

The overt mismatching of prints and colors boggles the mind and confuses the eye. One doesn’t quite know where to focus: the stripes? the floral print? the abstract print?

The trend almost seems to capitalize on Seurat’s pointallism. When we stand too close, look too hard, and/or pay too much attention, we get dizzy. But when we relax the mind and the eye (mind’s eye anyone?), everything enjoyably comes together. Is fashion instilling one of life’s lessons? Maybe. Then again, as is always a possibility, maybe I’m just overthinking all of this.

Either way, Fall’s Fashion Week showed many designers still focusing on the mismatching trend, though now in a more streamlined form.

Jonathan Saunders Fall 2011 RTW
photo credit: New York Magazine

clothing: Dolce & Gabbana
photo credit: Yannis Vlamos via TheHauteHoosier.com

clothing: Tsumori Chisato
photo: Monica Feudi via WeLiveHarlem.com

The message was clear: mismatch but keep the prints or color scheme similar. So, for a friend who asked my take on his penchant for the combination of vertical and horizontal stripes: no need to stop. Your affinity for said combination is still oh so on trend. Good job.