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The Best Prints and Patterns for Natural Style Types

11/12/2018

Stripes can be Natural. They're especially likely to be Natural if they are irregular, or various in size, or if they read as relaxed, not aggressive.

Vertical stripes, which elongate the vertical line, are usually better than horizontal stripes (which are good for Gamines.)

Irregular stripes.

These striped feel relaxed, mainly because the garment itself is unstructured.

Checks and plaids can be Natural if they read as something you would find on a fleece -- they should look farmer-ish, not preppy. (Preppy plaids are Classic.)

These checks feel country, not preppy.

This feels like a farmer plaid, not a preppy plaid.

Large, stylized, somewhat abstract nature motifs read as Natural, as long as they're not aggressive-looking (which would add Dramatic) or neatly repeating (which would add Classic).

Nature prints that are more photorealistic read as Gamine or Ingenue. (The youthful essences get more literal images.) Nature prints that feature flowers will automatically bring in Romantic (if they're larger and stylized) or Ingenue (if they're smaller and more realistic.)

Paisleys are often Natural, because they're stylized nature motifs that read as a little "tribal" (which is a word I don't love; what's a better word?)

Stylized nature patterns are often Natural, so that includes many paisleys.

A paisley that's very tiny or very detailed is less likely to read as Natural.

Prints with abstract geometrics that seem to be randomly distributed and are largeish in size can be Natural. Go for blunt-edged geometrics; sharp-edged geomtrics will read as Dramatic (if they're large) or Gamine (if they're small.)

An oversized, abstract, blunt-edged print. (Notice the stylized nature motifs mixed in too.)

Prints you find in textiles of indigenous peoples are often Natural. Again, the print is more likely to read as Natural if it's large and not incredibly detailed. A Natural print will not fee aggressive or high-energy.

Large shapes and a neutral color palette make this otherwise somewhat busy print read as rather Natural.

A print or pattern, by itself, adds a lot of detail to a look. And Natural style calls for a very low level of detail. So if you're a pure Natural and you're going for a print, keep your silhouette and garments extra simple, and your other details very, very plain.

Women who are pure Natural and Natural blends, what prints and patterns have you found work for you?

If you're not sure of your style type, try the Style Identity Calculator or consider a Virtual Analysis.

18 Comments

Shawna

11/12/2018 12:45:10 pm

Not a Natural and don't seem to have any or very little N in me but I have recently realised that while I look bad in vertical stripes I am great in horizontal ones and really good if they go in different directions. That would seem to support my gamine diagnosis so the timing of your pointing out horizontals for gamine in this post is good timing for me. I'm getting rid of my vertical striped things which I never wear.

11/12/2018 08:24:58 pm

This is really interesting. I think I'm strongly natural, but I also find ethereal helps to temper it. I don't seem to wear 'boho' very well. Instead, I end up taking the natural style "loftier" -- the colors are lighter, the shapes elongated, the fabrics are textured, more detailed, but never heavy.

Yet I've always struggled with prints. I find that anything that looks screen printed is going to be awful on me -- I think it just looks too artificial. I can pull off large-sized, low contrast batik-type prints quite well. That'sabout the only print style I can wear well. I find I can also do textures that add geometry of just about any type. One clue I'm a natural in minimalism and not classic: I look good in rib knits or ''chickenskin" thermal underwear style shirts or couderoy -- anything with texture that adds lines or a grid. That's far better for me than so-smooth-the-weave-is-invisible knits.

I love the tip about plaids. My family dresses Very preppy, and I found their love of neat stripes and plaid just did not extend to me. My sister lives in her gamine stripes. In recent years, I found a paid I liked -- I now realize it was totally a lumberjack style plaid, not at all preppy. And of course, the grunge years were kind to us naturals. Ah flannels and Docs, you are gone, but... Coming back, actually.

But this is giving me a few more options to try. I definitely avoid any print that doesn't look woven into the fabric - or hand-painted on. And I love the tip about "not aggressive." I kept thinking dramatic meant "draws notice" -- but a lot of styles can do that. 'Not agressive" is a useful thought for natural.

That does leave me with a question: natural is masculine, rugged, and yet NOT aggressive or ... powerful? But how does that work with natural being rugged and masculine and strong? I feel like I'm missing something here, but I might be overthinking it.

Megan

11/13/2018 04:31:58 pm

That's an interesting thought about Natural being strong yet not aggressive or powerful... maybe Natural embodies more of a passive, calm strength, at least in comparison to Dramatic? Natural might have a kind of restrained power, as if Naturals look as if are capable of exerting power and force but choose not to?

Dramatic is more intense... and at least in our culture, it seems like men are somewhat expected to be "strong and silent," so maybe that's a type of masculinity that's reflected in Natural--the carefree, laidback vibe that men are "supposed" to have? And Dramatic reflects a different stereotype about men, their aggressiveness.

I'm also thinking about how Rachel elsewhere described Dramatic as the masculinized supernatural--I feel like there is an intensity and theatricality, of course, to Dramatic that isn't embodied in our stereotype of the average man.

I don't know, these are just rough thoughts on this.

Alex

11/13/2018 08:37:50 pm

Natural is a tree - not aggressive, but very strong.

11/14/2018 08:59:50 pm

Ah, good point. I should return to that metaphor. :)

Melina

11/13/2018 02:51:45 am

Ah, stripes & most other prints & patterns are (mostly) N or G - no wonder I usually avoid them like the like plague :D They just don't work for me, and now I realize why. The only patterns i like at all is paisley, I guess there's enough R or E in it to make it work...

Johanna

11/17/2018 02:34:29 am

Funny enough, I've been thinking about Paisley and where it fits in before this post came out. I've had a look at different paisley patterns and they seem to be quite different, so I was wondering, if it is at all possible to sort them into a certain category? They seem to go from child-like to floral to aggressive , small, bold..It made me really uncertain, where to sort them in

Ella

11/13/2018 08:47:02 am

I was wondering whether my love of horizontal stripes was due to my classic or gamine element. Now I know and lucky for me I can wear vertical stripes and plaids too. I'm liking being an NCG more and more. Very helpful post, thanks!

Ilona

11/14/2018 10:45:34 am

This is a great post! I really enjoyed the previous one, too. I've purchased Rachel's products for my style identity, but these two posts have given me more understanding of the types. Thank you Rachel!

11/15/2018 03:42:49 am

Between this post and the earlier one about Natural jewelry, I've become convinced that I have little to no Natural after all--the jewelry and patterns shown in these posts do not flatter me.

I now think the bluntness I saw in my features was a combination of Ethereal roundedness and, oddly, the fact that I'm a True Winter. If I look at a picture of my face without makeup, as is often recommended, my features look less defined, more blobby--which I initially read as Natural. In pictures where I'm wearing mascara, some black eyeliner along the upper lashes, and tinted lip balm, my face becomes sharper, and all that's evident in the features are Ethereal s-curves and Gamine cuteness. Even when I went back and compared my barefaced photos to the EG and ENG boards, the results were ambiguous at best with a few items, and most of the items on the ENG board were clearly too sloppy or heavy or the wrong kind of geometric.

I know it's a truism that Winters are most transformed by makeup--are there any other Winters out there who get more ambiguous or slightly different style ID results when using barefaced photos versus lightly made-up ones?

Victoria

11/15/2018 11:57:14 am

I think a makeup free face always reads as more "natural" which might easily be misread as natural style ID, whether that type is present or not. I'm a Dark Winter RNG, and I can look extra N with a fresh face, even though I came out as split 30/30/30. With concealer, mascara and lipgloss I'm 100% in focus (it's my usual look) so that's what I used for the Style ID calculator.
Also, at this point I just know that -for me- Ingenue is too cutesy (3%), Dramatic is too sharp/severe (3%), Classic is too plain/boring (3%), and airy Ethereal is the absolute worst at 0%.
This post absolutely rang true for my RNG split!

Nicole

11/16/2018 01:44:40 pm

Hi Victoria! :) I am RNG as well and I've been having a hard time finding a good makeup look. If you don't mind me asking, what lip gloss color do you use? I'd also love to hear any other beauty tips that you've found useful as an RNG (ie, makeup, style, hair, etc)!

Victoria

11/18/2018 01:15:06 pm

Nicole, makeup and hair are interesting for me with this combo! My best everyday makeup look tends to be simple. I do concealer, mascara, and a lip gloss. Maybe some highlighter, soft blush, and black/charcoal tight-lining on my upper lash line if I feel like it. So far, Buxom French Martini is my favorite everyday lippie. Sheer fig, it’s a MLBB for me. Their Dolly works as a bit pinker MLBB for me as well. For a date night, I will either wear a DW lippie with light eyeshadow and black liner/more mascara, or I’ll do sort of a plummy eye, and my regular gloss. I can’t go very dark or overboard with shadow, and if I do a lippie I have to keep the rest minimal. I also don’t ever wear foundation; I’ve tried them alllllllll and they just look too heavy. Maybe because of the natural, the gamine or both, these makeup looks are best and more is...not! For an event or a full glam kind of thing, the classic pinup look works best for me.
In terms of hair, my natural very curly hair reads quite romantic, though I sometimes wear short, straightened pixies or angled bobs and those work very well. I need movement because of the natural, but I can work with a lot of different looks. I just...style my outfit to match my hair honestly. Curly day might mean a lace top, longer earrings, eyeshadow, etc. Straight hair day might mean ear jackets, gamine stripes and simple makeup. Earrings are about the only jewelry I ever wear and I style them to match my OOTD. My earring tree is a very eclectic RNG mix. I definitely have a system, but it’s hard to describe; it’s more of a feeling. I love being an RNG though; we get to pick from a lot of different piles and the combos are super fun!

Victoria

11/18/2018 04:15:07 pm

Oh Nicole I forgot to mention that hats are a big part of my RNG style. They are my best accessory after earrings. Baseball caps, slouchy beanies, cloache, winter hats w/ and w/out pom poms, cuban fedora style, conductor hats, and small/medium brimmed fedoras.

ruth

11/16/2018 09:23:06 am

I am probably about 60% natural with a fair bit of classic and some dramatic. I absolutely adore medium - large scale paisley, it is a pattern that I will consider wearing in out-of-my-season colours as I love it so much.

Stripes and plaid are great on me too. The other pattern I like is stars but not regularly placed like polka-dots, they need to be sort of sprinkled randomly over the garment - and medium to large scale - to really work. I tend to find prints that have dense areas of pattern with plain or sparse areas are good.

Megan

11/20/2018 06:39:31 pm

Loosely related to this post--yesterday I somehow ended up clicking through Google images of Leandra Medine (of "Man Repeller" blog) and I was struck by the fact that even though I'm 99% sure she doesn't use any form of Style Analysis to decide what to wear, and even though her outfits are often highly unconventional--she looked GOOD in most of them. Like, harmonious.

So I just did a very quick analysis of her with the calculator and got Dramatic Natural Gamine (25 25 50). SO if my analysis is somewhat accurate, I find it SUPER interesting that someone who made a career out of "repelling men" with her whacky and unfeminine fashion choices is ACTUALLY largely dressing in a way that harmonizes with her facial features. While she does often throw feminine pieces into her outfits, generally she seems to wear a mix of Natural Gamine with a bit of Dramatic, and to favor undone hair and minimal makeup...

I don't know. I think she paradoxically may have gravitated to "man repeller" look in part because her interpretation is a look that really flatters her.

Nicole

12/3/2018 05:04:59 pm

Hi Victoria,

So sorry I am just now seeing your message!! This thread won't let me click “reply” to your message for some reason, but I hope you see this :)

Thanks for your amazinggg reply! I’ve had the exact same experience you described! Especially with the hair- it takes a bit of balancing. It's great to hear from a DW woman that intense eyeliner and shadow is still too much for RNG. Lipstick, eyeliner, and eyeshadow are definitely still options, they just take more effort to integrate into a look. RNGs can have it all, just not all at the same time :) We have very similar beauty routines too! I'm Soft Spring but I use Spring versions of your exact same shades. Typically, my bold, brown, or deeper colors are matte; my nude, pinker, or MLBB colors are a little glossier. Your plum eye look sounds beautiful! And I can't believe I never thought of tighlining only the upper before- I’m going to try that! (I've always thought Mila Kunis was the queen of tightlining & she's RNG)!

In case you're looking for style inspo... I know for sure Zoe Kravitz and Eva Longoria are RNG, and Rihanna is RG with some NI. Otherwise, I've seen commenters say Alia Shawkat, Mila, Linda Cardellini, Karla Deras, Fergie, and Amber Rose are too. (I've also heard Marina Diamandis but I'm not 100% sure about her. And recently I've wondered if Ana De Armas is RNG...)

Anyways, here are 7 tips that I've noticed make a huge difference style-wise as someone who is RNG (possiblyyy with a dash of Ingenue):

[#1] I never wear ANYTHING that makes me feel uncomfortable in any way!
[#2] I try to wear at least 1 item of contrasting color or texture relative to rest of my outfit. I also try to wear at least a trio of colors (though happens naturally when getting dressed anyways). Extremely monochromatic typically reads as too mature and “thought out”.
[#3] I ALWAYS buy purses, shoes, and jeans in high quality materials and they must be versatile in style & color. Never the other way around. I’ve noticed this not only makes easier to style on a daily basis and saves money, but it really changes the “feel” of an outfit. There’s a subconscious “sensibility” and ease about RNG. I pull out specialty items according to the special event I am going to.
[#4] Buying items with a smooth, silky, soft, touchable, or borderline pajama (LOL) texture makes a REALLY big difference! Again, it’s really these types of subconscious, subtle details that seem to make an RNG outfit.
[#5] Extremely simplified looks don’t really work because of the Romantic, but the hot “minimalism” style is great! Minimalism has a bold simplicity and transparency to it... making it obvious that there’s only 1 or 2 clothing items separating bare self from the outside. Plus it reads as self-confident when it looks like little effort was put into an outfit. Otherwise, I will go the exact opposite route and do lotttts of layering. I think RNG suits layering a little better, but when I don’t feel like it I just do the minimalist style haha.
[#6] I get alot of inspiration from Hollywood. I notice that celebs who err on the side of obviously, stereotypically "hot" (rather than sexy) are often styled very close to RNG for appearances and interviews. This has held true regardless of their gender or Style ID. Thus, items that are universally recognized by both men and women as “hot” seem to work very well (ie, bright gold link watches or jewelry, velvet, suede, dashes of leather or mesh, strappy items, cutouts/peekaboos, laceups, undone buttons, V necks, lacy halter bralettes, long or short circle pendants, multilayered necklaces or bracelets, lockets/keys, deep jewel tones, snakechains, smooth shiny metallics or studs, sheerness/translucency, physical tension via tightfitting or draping/dangling items, crops, shorts, cutoffs, tanks, rolled cuffs, mala beads, headwear, contrast pockets or lapels, etc).
[#7] As silly as it sounds... When in doubt, one of my best tricks is to look at an outfit from the neck down and say "Could I see the love interest of a movie first being introduced in this outfit?” Very often, whenever an audience FIRST sees a love interest being introduced to the other protagonist, the love interest is dressed Romantically and in stark contrast to the rest of the supporting characters (which runs very similar to RNG style). I took a film class a few years ago, and I remember they taught how styling is used for more than just making all the actors look good. Intentional styling is a tool filmmakers use to subliminally highlight key characters and nonverbally cue the audience of who they should pay attention to!

Of course all these "rules" sound like a lot... but once I got the hang of it, the bit of effort really pays off! Ultimately it ends up saving me time, money, & energy so I can spend more on the most important things in my life!

Victoria

12/5/2018 11:00:18 pm

Could not agree more about COMFORT! I won't wear anything uncomfortable ever, for any reason. Not shoes, not makeup, not a dress, not even for a minute. NOPE!
I am definitely a fan of a more low key, effortlessly chic and sexy styling. I don't do overtly sexy in dress; I think it looks awkward on me with 60%+ masculine essences. Bodycon for anything buy yoga pants or skinny jeans feels awful to me, so it's a hard pass. Sexy hair and makeup is more believable. I really do love being RNG. I was typed as a Soft Natural or Yin Natural in another system, and I always felt like I was missing something. I really do need G elements because my face is very Gamine. Bring on the hats!

The Best Prints and Patterns for Natural Style Types

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