Kids’ clothes embrace mismatches

There seems consensus among fashion insiders that there are no "rules" when it comes to mixing patterns and prints, yet while you can wear that pink-and-orange floral with that red-and-orange stripe, the green stripe clearly is a bad idea.

Be guided by good taste, not rules, says Andrea Harmon, director of color and concept at The Children's Place, which has based its back-to-school collection on an explosion of prints — all in gumball colors.

Some advice:

• Work in color schemes — perhaps blues and greens, or oranges and yellows — advises Pilar Guzman, editor in chief for Cookie magazine. "It's the way we style stuff for photo shoots. You mix crazy things but, if you get it in the same general color scheme, it's a little easier to take."
• The other option is to choose only one patterned item and mix it with pieces in solid colors that wouldn't normally seem complementary. For example, she says, a pink floral-pattern skirt is OK with a solid blue T-shirt.
• Allow one large-scale pattern per outfit, Harmon says. A small dot or floral, or a thin stripe can almost be treated like a solid, though.
• Don't just mix patterns, mix styles, too, says Jose Abellar, vice president of design and trend at Old Navy. Try an argyle sweater with rugged denim or a letterman sweater with a graphic T under it.
• Your daughter will get more use out of a crazy pattern skirt with a lot of colors in it than one with just one or two colors, says Guzman, because there will be so many solid-colored tops it can be paired with.
• Choose patterned socks or even a patterned backpack if you want to be stylish but not draw too much attention to yourself.
• For girls, printed leggings could be a compromise for cool mornings, says Harmon. "It's much easier to girls into leggings than tights. It's a finishing touch."

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