[modernista]: Prints! Prints! Prints!

My apologies for my absence from the blogosphere of late. Between Christmas, my boyfriend's birthday, Valentine's Day, two full-on floorsets at work, friends from London coming into town (loved every minute of having them stay with me), and my two-year anniversary with Monsier Baker, I've come to the realisation there's no point waiting for the lull to happen because...there is no lull in my world!!

So I have to tell you, I'm feeling pretty inspired right now. With the clocks going forward and the evenings staying lighter for longer, I can't help feeling renewed and excited for the summer. One thing that really makes me think of summer are PRINTS! I am obsessed with prints right now. In particular, print-on-print. Plaid-on-stripe, floral-on-gingham, floral-on-floral...the choices are endless, which makes it all the more interesting.

There is something so brilliant and brave about print-mixing. Forget what your mum or sister taught you. Print-mixing takes all those standard rules you learned as a little girl and throws them out of the window. A fun way to shake up your closet, print-mixing is quite the art form, but beware - it can go horribly wrong if not done correctly! It is important to remember that there is always a common denominator which ties everything together. The key to pulling off this daring look is ensuring there a cohesiveness within the pieces as a whole, whether it be the color story or the theme.
Take a gander at Proenza Schouler's Resort 2011 collection, which is phenomenal and one of my favourites. The bold colors and pairings are so appealing.

I thought I would have fun with a bit of print-mixing myself as I got dressed to go to the Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena this morning. I always like to be comfy when I am rummaging for vintage finds, so I opted for a Navajo-printed cutoff sweatshirt, multi-stripe high-waist shorts and some tan oxford shoes. Finally, I threw on a wooden cuff and some Peruvian jewelry and I was ready to go hunting for treasure! Five vintage dresses and a herringbone swing-coat later, I was one happy thrifter :)