Many of you have been wondering how mix and match actually works – why do some people make it look so effortless and others have trouble putting anything together unless it’s all matchy-matchy (check out the prom match on the left, eek!)?
Revealed today, the big secret! How you too can look awesome daily…ready…? Here it is…
Match and Repeat!
Yes, that’s it, that’s all. Just match and repeat. When you match the lines and shapes in your clothing to the lines and shapes of your body, it creates a look of harmony, as if your clothes were built just for you.
Here’s an example…if you are very curvy, the type of jacket that will look great on you will also be curvy. When you look at it on the hanger, it will likely nip in at the waist, have curved lapels and have curved details like a peplum or lovely round buttons. If you’re straighter, your jacket will have more masculine or yang tailoring with a notched lapel and straight pocket flaps.
In addition, if you want pieces to work together, there needs to be an element of repetition. That means picking up the different elements of 
design throughout your outfit. For example, if you’ve got blue in one spot, you’ll want to pick that blue up elsewhere – repeating the colour, as in the image on the left. In the shirt, there is a bit of blue that’s echoed in the jeans and then a bit of gray that’s in the shoe and scarf. If you’ve got a nice straight line in one place (e.g.: a check in a shirt or a straight shape in a bag as on the left), you’ll want to pick up that straight line elsewhere, such as in your cuff or the shape of your jacket (as on the left). Repetition creates harmony and makes things look pulled together.
Safety tip – repeat once, but not more than twice in an outfit, otherwise you risk looking more matchy-matchy than harmonious.
If you’re not sure how this works, try a little people watching on your lunch break. When you notice that someone looks really pulled together, see which elements go with their body and colouring and also notice where those elements are repeated throughout their outfit and you’ll start to get a feel for the process. Also try getting in the closet – when you’ve got something on that really works for you, see if you can figure out which elements are making it all pull together. Have fun!