fashion police - mixing patterns

There are times when it is ok to mix patterns. A striped sweater and polka dot bag are a good example. The colors are similar and the patterns complement each other in boldness. The solid black pants break it up enough so that it doesn't look silly. Another good example is for the guys: ties with patterns can be worn together with pin-striped slacks. A solid shirt breaks it up so the two patterns don't conflict with each other. For example, if this young lady was wearing, say, a floral skirt with this polka dot bag and a solid top, it would place all the attention and draw the eye to the lower half of the ensemble. Now, look at the picture again. Notice how your eyes tend to shift between the bag and back up to the sweater and then to her face? This is the result you want when putting together an outfit. The key is to choose items with similar colors and not wear different patterns too close to each other.