Have you ever found yourself standing in front of a rack of bold prints, wondering, “Is this me? Or am I just being swayed by what’s in right now?” If so, you’re not alone—and you’re certainly not wrong to ask.
One of our style community, recently shared this honest dilemma:
“I find prints tricky. I’m not sure about finding my preferred shapes and colours, especially when the trends don’t reflect them. My daughter says I should just stick to solids and neutrals—but I do like some prints.”
It’s a great question—and one that opens up a deeper conversation about how prints connect to both your physicality and your personality. Let’s break it down.
Why Some Women Shine in Solids—and Others in Prints
There’s a reason why solid colours feel effortless on some people. If your natural colouring is uniform—say, you have solid, deep hair colour such as brown, smooth, even skin, and minimal colour contrast—you may naturally look better in simple, clean blocks of colour. Your physical appearance already has a “solid” quality, and repeating that in your clothing creates harmony.
But what if your appearance is more multi-dimensional?
Maybe your hair has highlights (natural or otherwise), or it’s silvering gracefully. Perhaps your skin tone contrasts more with your eye or hair colour. You might even have curls or textured hair—both of which are patterns in and of themselves. In cases like these, solid colours can sometimes feel too stark or flat. Prints may actually enhance your presence, adding visual interest that echoes the richness of you.
Patterned skin, from freckles to sun spots, and even high colour, also work really well with prints. It creates harmony and balance to the eye.
Prints Are Personal—Not Just Trendy
Here’s the thing: prints aren’t just about what’s in fashion. They’re deeply tied to personality. Love animal prints? That could reflect a bold, dramatic energy. Prefer tiny florals? That might suggest a more feminine or nostalgic aesthetic. Drawn to geometric patterns? You might favour structure and modernity.
Even within a category like “florals,” there are infinite variations:
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Tiny Liberty-style florals – delicate and vintage-inspired
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Watercolour florals – artistic and fluid
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Photo-real florals – detailed and lifelike
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Abstract florals – interpretive, often more modern or unexpected
If you’re unsure what suits you, start with your own wardrobe. Lay out the printed pieces you already love. What do they have in common? Are they bold or subtle? Symmetrical or organic? Bright or muted? This is your style DNA speaking—and it’s far more valuable than any trend forecast.
Textures Can Act Like Prints Too
Have you thought about how some textures act like prints. For example, lace is a floral texture. Crochet can also create a textural print. These may come in colours or in solids as well. The more textured your appearance, such as curly, wavy or more coarse hair, then the more textural prints will work in harmony with your appearance. The same goes for more textured skin.
When Trends Don’t Align With Your Taste
Fashion operates on cycles. One season it’s “quiet luxury” and minimalism, the next it’s bold plaids and oversized florals. If your favourite prints aren’t in stores right now, it’s not because your style is “wrong”—it’s just not on trend.
This is where modern tools become a woman’s best friend. Digital fabric printing has opened the door to endless personalisation. Websites now let you choose or even design your own print, select your fabric, and have it shipped to you—ready to sew or take to your tailor. Imagine wearing a dress in the exact colours and pattern that you love, not what a retailer decided to stock this season.
Why Your Daughter’s Advice Might Not Work for You
Your daughter may love solids because she’s more influenced by current fashion trends —and they may work beautifully for her. But that doesn’t automatically mean the same is true for you. We each have unique colouring, personalities, and style values. What looks chic and effortless on one woman can feel dull or disconnected on another. Matching your prints and patterns with your right colour contrast makes them sing. Then using your prints and patterns to highlight your ideal value contrast also makes it simpler to dress.
And while we’re here: you don’t have to erase your love of colour or print just because a trend (or family member) suggests otherwise.
Style Is a Mirror of You
Here’s what I want you to take away: Style isn’t about conformity. It’s about connection to your values, your body, and your sense of self.
If you’re someone whose colouring, texture, or personality thrives in prints, then prints are part of your style story. Trends will come and go, but your authenticity never goes out of fashion.
So ask yourself: What prints light me up? What patterns feel like me?
Because the most stylish woman in the room isn’t always the one in the trendiest outfit—she’s the one who’s dressed in alignment with who she truly is.
If you want to understand more about the psychological alignment between different personality traits and personal style, I’d love to invite you to join 7 Steps to Style which will give you this insider knowledge and a grounding in all aspects of colour and style (including your colour palette, your colour and value contrast, as well as body shape assessment) so that you can truly build a wardrobe of clothes that is in alignment with the woman you are today.
Further Reading on Prints and Patterns
How to Interpret and Choose Prints and Patterns For Your Personality
3 Essential Elements to Choosing Flattering Prints and Patterns
How to Choose Prints and Patterns that Go With Your Colour Palette
