Olivia Palermo, Miu Miu, DVF, DKNY (Getty, Imax Tree)Once upon a time (and in fashion that means approximately three weeks ago), mixing and matching was the new hip thing to do. Bloggers have given many lessons on how dressing to impress means making the most unexpected outfit combinations possible. Can you wear overalls with pink pumps?
Certainly! Can leopard print be paired with neon?
Duh. But lookout cool kids, there's a cooler kind of cool in town.
Welcome to a place where denim on denim is suddenly acceptable (and being touted by the likes of
Charlize Theron and
Rihanna) and the only way to shake up the stylesphere is to match. Completely. This isn't about wearing red shoes with a red bag and—eek!—a red manicure. No, we're talking bold prints, or more specifically promise-to-get-photographed-by-every-street-style-photographer-at-Fashion-Week-
head-to-toe-prints.
Here's some runway and red carpet inspiration that just may embolden you to buy that floral suit you've been eying.
(Imax Tree)
This is a fun place to start. Who can look at this
Alice + Olivia striped suit and not immediately think of Beetlejuice? A high-fashion Beetlejuice with much better hair and eyeliner, thank goodness.
(PacificCoastNews.com)
Leave it to
Rihanna to lead the pack on a new trend. The allure of this
Stella McCartney ensemble is totally understandable considering the pop star got to leave the house in silky pajamas with no "does this look okay with this?" agony. Sheer genius.
(Imax Tree)
Miuccia
Prada's brilliance knows no bounds. One second you think her "leggy"
Mary Janes are
insane and the next thing you know they are incorporated into every major magazine spread. Her '60s capri suits for Fall 2012 are much easier to get behind and will no doubt be seen on the streets come September's runway shows.
(Getty)
You may think of
Olivia Palermo as the queen of mixing-and-matching, but lately she has been all about coordination. Not only was she spotted in this electric blue
Tibi ensemble, but she just recently went matchy-matchy in a
miniskirt and blouse from Zara. Of course her accessories never play by the rules.
(Imax Tree)
If Prada leans one direction, its little sister line,
Miu Miu, generally follows suit. This year quite literally with bold pants and jackets that melded bright retro interiors with modified boxy '80s fits.
(PacificCoastNews.com)
It's no secret that the entire drive behind
Lady Gaga's eccentric fashion is to get noticed. And she did just that in
Salvatore Ferragamo's herringbone. This kind of print enthusiasm may be zany for anyone else, but on this singer it's rather sophisticated.
(Imax Tree)
The world will never have enough of
Diane von Furstenberg's prints. They capture the essence of an era without looking dated. Her Spring 2012 line was chock-full of these loud patterns placed on blousy pants, tops and dresses.
(Bauer Griffin)
Admittedly,
Florence Welch's brazen style can be a little freaky. The singer, however, has made herself a budding icon thanks to unconventional outfits that never cease to amuse. This floral black-and-white
Moschino suit isn't the
first time she's shown her love for the all-matching trend, and it's doubtful it will be her last.
(Imax Tree)
When Donna Karan commits to a theme, she doesn't do so lightly. Matching pants and a blouse didn't give this
DKNY runway look enough moxie, it needed a matching tote, heels and floppy sunhat, too. This is how you make a statement on the beach, no Borat mankini required.
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