Sometimes the pants have already made most of the color decisions. A little green leaf in a floral, a blue stripe, one red star: any of those can be the thing you repeat in a top. You don't need to match the biggest color in the print, or turn the whole outfit into a set.
We like starting with the piece the child wants to wear. If that's the busiest pair of pants in the drawer, lovely. Put them on the bed and find a top that picks up something you can see in them.
A small color can be enough
The Blue Rosebud Studio Pants have small pink rosebuds on a pale blue checked background. You could work with the blue, or take the much smaller pink detail elsewhere. The Green Gingham pair gives you a simpler green-and-white starting point.
Try the clothes beside each other before deciding. A color doesn't have to be an exact match to make a connection, and a second print can work too. If both are patterned, notice the size of the designs. One small repeat beside one larger motif lets you see each of them more clearly.
Some prints we would start with
Rainbow Stripe gives you several narrow bands to choose from. Pick one to repeat and leave the rest in the pants. Rosebud Floral has pink flowers and green leaves on a pale base; Starry Night has red, green and white stars on a dark one.
The Red & Blue Art Club pants are particularly direct about it: one blue leg, one red leg, both covered in illustrated artists and supplies. A plain top can repeat either side. Art Club Blue puts the illustrations against bright blue with green stripes, giving you another pair of colors to work from.
Those are suggestions to try, rather than rules for the prints. Your child may put two things together you hadn't considered and like them much more.
Look at the outfit once it's on
The Strawberry Tee has a warm, undyed background around its printed fruit. It can bring a bit of red to a dark bottom or sit beside another red detail. A longer tee may cover the upper part of a pant's print, so the proportions change once the clothes are being worn.
Try the top loose, or tucked if the wearer likes it that way. A Pato Five-Panel Hat can bring a print into a smaller area when you don't want another large patterned piece. Its Big Kid and Adult options are separate fit choices; choose the right one before settling on the design.
Leave room for their choice
You can offer two tops that suit the day and let the child decide. If they want to choose the starting piece too, begin there. Take a quick photo of combinations they like if that would make the next morning easier.
Our small colorful wardrobe guide is about making a few pieces work often. For sharing color across different ages, see adult and child outfits. The most useful combinations are the ones somebody wants to put on again.
Leave a comment