With spring on the horizon, you can’t help but go a little bit bonkers with wanting to cast-off your layers-upon-layers of dark, heavy woollens and breathe some life into your wardrobe. One of the tried-and-true ways of doing this is with color and print. Every spring fashion season, designers come at us with such a riot of color and pattern that there is surely something for everyone in the mix.
We all have our favorites. Whether you’re a tartan girl, favor a ditsy floral print, or wouldn’t dream of anything other than a nautical stripe, your spring print choices tell the world a lot about you as a person. Want to know what they’re saying? I can help. I’ve been honing my fashion divination skills (by which I mean I’ve scoured the dark recesses of the internet) and found the answer to one of life’s great unanswered questions; what does this print say about me?
One: Florals
Let’s start with the easy stuff. No need to jump right in to something complicated like an ikat batik or something like that.
Floral prints are as tried and tested a symbol of the coming spring as anything, and they have an appeal with a far-reaching age demographic. Long held as an unapologetically feminine item, floral prints are the go-to for spring celebrations like Easter, but they also look really good in the hands of one who is adept at print mixing.
Wearing florals prints tells the world that you do not shy away from your femininity. That said, don’t be afraid to put a black leather jacket over the top of your precious floral and go. Femininity and bad-assedness are not mutually exclusive.
Two: Stripes
The stripe-lover is a confident gal with a penchant for classics that stay in style for ages. Crisp primary colours appeal to your sensibilities if you’re a stripe girl, and you probably secretly own at least five subtly different navy and white Breton stripe tees (you know…long sleeve, short sleeve, tank top, off the shoulder…)
The stripe girl will look you directly in the eye when she talks to you, and isn’t afraid to get her hair wet or go on holiday without her blowdryer.
Three: Animal Print
Hey, we all know the stereotype; the animal print-loving, chain-smoking, trashy next door neighbor who is always out there trying to make the best of her..er..”assets”. Yes, animal print is a bold statement, but it’s also a cry of independence and freedom of expression.
The animal print aficionado is a strong-minded woman with places to go and things to do. She’s ambitious, unapologetic about her sartorial choices, and knows exactly what she needs to do to get the job done.
Four: Plaid
Whether you call it plaid or the original Scottish term “tartan”, plaid is the domain of the traditionalist. You may not know you are a traditionalist, but plaid speaks to the side of your personality that values such things as loyalty and stability. After all, plaid was once the pattern that was reserved for such domestic textiles as kitchen tablecloths. What could be more traditionalist than that?
Five: Polka Dots
There was an actual study done by a professor of fashion history at Woodbury University that cited people who love to wear polka dot prints as being “dynamic multi-taskers” with lively and energetic personalities. Whew. That’s a lot to live up to, but if the movie Pretty Woman was anything to go by (remember that brown polka dot dress?), it’s an assessment that’s probably spot-on.
Your penchant for polka dots tells the world that you’re a “happy” person; a glass-half-full kind of a gal who isn’t afraid to add a dash of whimsy to her looks now and again. Just exercise polka dots with caution – one piece will do. You don’t want to do the dress and the belt and the shoes and the bag and the scarf…you get the idea.
Six: Bohemian
I’ve done a disservice to many different types of prints by throwing them all into one “bohemian” category. Bohemian prints include your batik, the dye, and Ikat-style prints, and while they can be vastly different, all give off a similar vibe. Bohemian prints scream to the world how important it is to you to retain your individuality. You prefer natural fibers like linens and cottons, don’t mind the feel of hemp against your skin (have you tried the new hemp textiles? There soft!), and like your clothing to have the same green, eco-consciousness ethos as you do.
