How to mix two prints in one outfit

Pairings that tend to work

Some combinations are easy because one of the prints behaves almost like a plain. Others need more care. Roughly from easiest to hardest:

• Stripe with floral: a stripe is orderly and the floral is loose, so they contrast in character as well as shape. A narrow stripe in one colour from the floral is the easiest version.
• Small dots with almost anything: tiny, evenly spaced dots read as texture from a short distance.
• Check with floral: a small, even check under a looser floral looks fresh and slightly vintage. Keep the check smaller than the flowers.
• Paisley or block print with stripe: the stripe calms a busy traditional motif, a common pairing in printed lawn.
• Two florals: the hardest. Make one large and open with plenty of background, the other small and dense, or pair a painterly floral with a crisp, graphic one.
• Two bold prints of the same size: usually the one to avoid, because neither gives way.

Which piece takes which print

In a three-piece suit, size of piece should match size of print. The kameez has the largest flat panels, so it usually takes the larger or busier print, where motifs have room to show whole. Trousers suit the smaller or more linear print: stripes running down the leg look neat and lengthen, while a large floral on trousers gets broken up by the seams and the fold of the leg.

The dupatta is the free piece. If the kameez print is small and quiet, the dupatta can carry the bold print instead. If the kameez is already bold, give the dupatta the smaller print, or make it plain. Whichever print you love most belongs nearest your face, in the kameez front or the dupatta.

Seams matter too. A yoke, cuffs or a placket are small, and large motifs get cut through on them. Placing the smaller print on these small pieces is an easy way to tie the two prints together.

Plain details that keep prints apart

A strip of plain colour between two prints works like a frame around a picture. In a suit there are several places to put one, and our guide to yokes and panels has more ideas.

• A plain band at the trouser hem: separates printed trousers from the shoes and echoes the kameez.
• A plain yoke or neckline facing: gives the eye a resting place near the face.
• Piping in the shared colour: a narrow line at the neckline, sleeves and hem that links both prints.
• Plain sleeve cuffs: useful when the kameez and dupatta are both printed.
• A plain lining that shows at the side slits: a flash of solid colour where the kameez meets the trousers.
• A plain border on the dupatta: stops its print running straight into the kameez print.

Trying it before you order

Lay the fabrics together the way they will meet on the body: the dupatta folded over the kameez front, the trousers below the hem. Then step back several paces and half close your eyes. If you still see two separate prints, they work; if they blur into one busy surface, add a plain piece or swap one print for a smaller one.

If you are sending your own fabrics, Stitching Only is the route. Say which print goes where and where you want any plain bands or piping, and send daylight photos of all the pieces together; we confirm the fabric is suitable and how much is needed before you post anything. Ask for a Stitching Only quote to begin.