Layering Prints for Winter

Photos by Bianca Bass.
Coat: COS - old, alternative here. Shirt: here. Trousers: here. Faux Fur Stole: here. Shoes: Russell & Bromley, old - alternatives here. Bag: here & smaller version here.
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Layering prints is something that a lot of us approach with caution, myself included. I do feel that mixed prints often land either end of a scale - really cool, or really awful and I've experienced both myself. 
I've spoken a little recently about the importance of trying pieces on before you make a judgement. As we all know, things can look monumentally different on a human body to how they look on a hanger, and the thing about mixing prints, in my humble opinion, is that there aren't any rules; there isn't a special formula or cheat sheet. Bold prints can work with subtle prints, big with small and monochrome with colour - and sometimes, two prints you'd think match perfectly can look terrible on. You simply have to experiment, and when it works, you'll just know (& when it doesn't work you will also definitely know...) - which is what makes mixing prints so fun! 
To further demonstrate the randomness of print-mixing success, this outfit was an accident. I'd been trying on some new pieces and had rather unceremoniously (and slobbishly) chucked a couple of 'keep' items over my coat rail; a geo printed shirt and a pair of black and white pinstripe trousers - which had landed atop of a ruby red coat from COS. Draped over the end of the rail was my new no.1 faux fur accessory - a striped stole from Reiss. Somehow, it all worked - and of course it's fine if you disagree, as after all personal style is all in the name - it's personal! 
Do you ever mix prints?
What I'm wearing...

Heritage Check Cape, Flared Cuffs & Thigh High Boots

- - - Cape: Topshop. Shirt: Warehouse. Boots: River Island. - - -
Why hello!
I am so ready for Autumn. So ready. When this heritage check cape popped up on the Topshop website it really was one of those dramatic '...I MUST HAVE YOU' moments, like in films between the romantic leads, apart from it was between me and a cape. 
I also obviously needed another pussy bow blouse. However, the difference here is that it has adorable little flared cuffs. This makes it unimaginably different from all of my other pussy bow blouses and therefore it was a totally justified purchase. Shh. Shhhhhh. In all seriousness, I really adore that detail. It also has little pleats running down the front which I failed to capture, but they're shown in the product photos I've linked above and below. Small details like that really can make such a huge impact on the overall look of a piece, even if they seem small!
You may also notice that I'm wearing thigh-high boots. (Are they thigh high? Or knee high? I think they're meant to be thigh high but as I'm a rather long-legged 5'9 they've ended up just above the knee.) I thought the frilly blouse and cape combo was all a bit prim (don't get me wrong - I love prim-ness) but I wanted to sort of... rough it up a bit? Make it a bit ~*edgy*~. They're quite different for me, and although I'm almost an entire year late on the thigh-high boot bandwagon, I must say I really rather like them and they're astonishingly comfortable to walk in. When I revealed myself wearing them to my mother and grandmother their reactions were somewhat different;
Mother: Wow! You look fab! Granny: ...................what are they
I enjoyed both reaction equally, and don't worry, Granny came around (if I promised to wear really thick tights).

Dungarees / Paisley Print Shirt with White Collar / Pointed Shoes

Hello all!

I must admit, I found the whole pinafore/dungaree thing that has been making the rounds on blogs quite relentless and so, I vowed to myself that I would not hitch my cart to that bandwagon, yet here I am, quite late - sheepishly chasing after said wagon. I don't mind telling you what changed my mind; it was after seeing Millie Mackintosh (I don't actually watch Made in Chelsea but I'm an admirer of her style) wear these exact Warehouse dungarees. She made them look so 'chic' but cute and I was fully swayed! Although I feel I look significantly more like an 8 year old than she did with these chubby cheeks I've been cursed with. Let me know what you think about dungarees/pinafores!

 Dungarees : Warehouse. Shirt : Urban Outfitters. Shoes : ASOS.