"I Don't Believe in Go-Together": Fashion Philosophy

This blog isn't just for outfits of the day and the like. At Fickle Frippery, I'm going to talk about fashion philosophy from time to time. Yes, that's a thing!

In style discourse, there's this myth that certain things go together and certain things do not and that these rules are static and fixed. I don't believe that.

I definitely think some things "go" really well together and some things less so but these judgements aren't based on colours and patterns. Rather, for me, it's an assessment made on a case by case basis and is dependent on many factors, including shoes, accessories, and where I'm going to be wearing any given outfit.

I love putting outfits together based on colours that I think look great together (pink and black, purple and yellow, green and pink, navy and red...I pretty much think every shade of every colour has several great colours to pair with) but I'll also try any colour combination.

Black, white, and orange aren't just for Hallowe'en. See below a surprisingly summery outfit consisting of these colours (including two different colours on the orange spectrum):

I've also worn red and pink not on Valentine's Day, and have done some nice pairings of brown and black.

More so than colour, people can feel very limited by patterns. Oh how I love patterns: leopard, plaid, polka dot, stripes, floral, argyle, houndstooth, paisley, the list goes on. A patterned piece can really enliven a solid, and colour blocking is great, but I also enjoy pairing two (or more!) patterns. This is especially easy to do if one pattern has a limited colour palette (such as black and white).

Today's outfit features a black with white polka dot skirt plus a white lace tank top and a teal and tan patterned blazer. I don't know precisely what the pattern is but I like it. The best description I can think of is "honeycomb."

Paired with black tights, black shoes and simple jewellery, this outfit wasn't all that bold after all. In other words, wearing different patterns together is awesome and opens up all kinds of new and fun possibilities. It doesn't always have to be with the main articles of clothing either - perhaps try a patterned skirt with a differently patterned purse or scarf. Or wear solids for the main outfit and accessorize with patterns.

It's always useful to rethink assumptions about what "goes together."