Around the busy streets of fashion week, the once dull, gray clouds have lifted, replaced by something much more playful and eye-catching: tasteful clashing.
The word “clash” first appeared in the 1600s to describe the harsh sound of two metal objects hitting each other—like cymbals or swords. But in today’s fashion world, we’ve swapped weapons for prints that visually collide, like geometric patterns with animal prints, or reds with greens. Minimalism ruled fashion in the ’90s, driven by a cultural obsession with the perfect white T-shirt, straight jeans, and a rotation of knit sweaters. (Thanks, CBK!) What started as a reaction to fast-changing trends became a kind of uniform for sophistication. That era has now met its match.
The days of strict fashion rules are over. In their place is a rich mix of patterns, textures, and colors, all combined in wonderfully striking, eccentric, and personal ways. With these rules gone, seasonal clichés have also faded—wearing plaid and florals all year round is now normal, and this is often best seen in the street style around the twice-yearly fashion shows. There is some advice for exploring this bold new territory: mix patterns of different sizes so they don’t fight each other, and stylists suggest sticking to a cohesive color palette or using neutral accessories to balance the look. But there’s no single reliable formula. Instead, tasteful clashing relies on a certain “je ne sais quoi,” as these street style images show so well. So go ahead and experiment!
Paris, fall 2025 menswear
Photographed by Phil Oh
London, spring 2026 ready-to-wear
Photographed by Phil Oh
New York, spring 2026 ready-to-wear
Photographed by Phil Oh
New York, spring 2026 ready-to-wear
Photographed by Phil Oh
Stockholm, spring 2027 ready-to-wear
Photographed by Acielle / StyleDuMonde
New York, fall 2025 ready-to-wear
Photographed by Phil Oh
New York, spring 2019 menswear
Photographed by Phil Oh
New York, fall 2025 ready-to-wear
Photographed by Phil Oh
Milan, fall 2018 ready-to-wear
Photographed by Phil Oh
New York, fall 2025 ready-to-wear
Photographed by Phil Oh
Berlin, spring 2027 ready-to-wear
Photographed by Maxine Stiller
New York, fall 2026 ready-to-wear
Photographed by Phil Oh
Paris, spring 2027 menswear
Photographed by Phil Oh
Paris, fall 2025 menswear
Photographed by Phil Oh
Paris, fall 2025 menswear
Photographed by Phil Oh
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about wearing bold prints striking patterns and vibrant colors in a street style contextanswering how to make clashing look tasteful
BeginnerLevel Questions
1 What exactly is tasteful clashing
Its mixing patterns or bright colors that dont technically match in a way that looks intentional and stylish not messy or chaotic
2 Why would I want to wear clashing prints
It shows confidence makes your outfit memorable and creates a unique highfashion look that stands out from plain or matching sets
3 Whats the easiest way to start trying this trend
Start with a neutral base and add one bold printed top Then introduce a small clashlike a striped scarf with a floral jacket
4 Can clashing really look good or is it just for fashion designers
Yes it can look amazing The key is to keep one element consistentlike using the same color palette in different patterns or the same pattern in different scales
5 What colors clash well together
Complementary colors work great Also pairing a bright color with a slightly muted version of its opposite often looks intentional
IntermediateLevel Questions
6 How do I avoid looking like a mess
Stick to a maximum of two or three patterns Make sure one pattern is larger and the other is smaller This creates visual hierarchy
7 Can I mix stripes with floral prints
Absolutely Stripes are linear and structured florals are organic The contrast is what makes it work Keep the colors similar
8 What if Im short or curvywill bold prints overwhelm me
Not if you control the scale Wear larger prints on your lower half and smaller prints on top or use a solidcolor belt to break up the pattern and define your waist
9 How do I pick the right shoes for a clashing outfit
Go for neutral shoes to ground the look Or pick a shoe that matches one color from your bold