Hello!!
I know it's been some time since my last post but I haven't been feeling very inspired to write about something and I didn't want to post just to post. BUT! I woke up today thinking that I always forget the names of fabric patterns and I also disagree about some of them with other people so I thought I might as well look them up and see what I would find. I also thought it would be fun to show an example of those pattern in cushions because cushions are adorable and they are a good way to add a pattern to your house without going all out on it.
1. Polka dots: this pattern is one of the most known ones. The main idea is a background with dots on it usually in similar size and distance to each other. But you can be creative with it of course. I find this pattern good for nail art too because it's easy and fun.
2. Stripes: striped fabrics have also been very popular and they are essential for the navy look which has been on trend for several summers now. Striped clothes create optical illusions making yo look taller+thinner when wearing vertical stripes and curvier when wearing horizontal ones. I am not a stripes person myself so I don't think I own anything with this pattern. But I do like using it for nail art because this is also an easy thing to do.
3. Pin Stripes: You might put this is the same category with regular stripes but I prefer separating them. Pin stripes is how men tend to wear stripes. Pin stripes add a fun note in a serious office suit without being too obvious. Fun fact: David Tennant would wear a pin striped suit when he played the Doctor in BBC's Doctor Who.
4. Chevron: This pattern had been popular since ancient Greece where it was used for pottery decoration. In western culture it was used in heraldry to decorate coats of arms and in modern times it's used on military rank symbols and road signs. Of course it's also used in fashion because it's a simple elegant pattern.
5. Herringbone: Very similar to chevrons, herringbone took its name for the bones of the herring fish. The difference with this pattern is that the zigzag pattern interchanges colour in the same line creating a 'broken' effect.
6. Houndstooth: Originating in Scotland this is a very traditional British pattern. You would normally find it in very elegant clothes that are marketed for older women although lately with the heritage trend that was popular for winter this print became popular amongst younger ages and became one of the edgy patters paired with leather jackets and studded accessories.
7. Checkers: As the name suggest this pattern comes after the checker board that we play chess on. Therefore the original print looks like this although people tend to call by the same name gingham prints and plaids. This although popular is not correct in the true sense of the name. Emo fashion that became a trend some years ago used this print a lot for clothing and accessories thus making it controversial amongst younger ages who would disagree on the pattern being a symbol of the emo ideology or simply a fashion trend without any meaning.
8. Gingham: The etymology of this name means striped and its characteristic was that it was striped in a checked pattern. However true gingham pattern is the one that the squares the stripes meet on are of a darker colour than the rest. I may not explain it that well but you can see in the images what I mean. If you compare it with the true checkers you can see the difference is quite obvious which in my opinion makes it a different print.
9. Plaid: This one is clearly NOT a checked pattern! Also called Tartan, this pattern is closely associated with Scottish culture as it has been adopted as the National Dress of Scotland. Different patterns of tartan were used to identify Scottish clans and they were worn on their kilts. Today this pattern is very popular on flannel shirts in America and was used for a number of clothes in the heritage trend in Britain.
10. Argyle: Originating as a variation of the plaid pattern argyle designs also started in Scotland. They are basically diamond shaped as the images show and they became popular after the first world war in Britain and America. Not much to say about this pattern because I think we're all familiar with it, though not with its name. I believe that almost everyone has at some point had a jumper or a paid of socks with this pattern. I know I did. ;)
11. Paisley: This design is of Indian and Persian origin and it came to Europe around the 17 century. It looks like droplets and it became quite popular during "The summer of love" Personally I don't like this design but I keep seeing it around lately so it had to have its place in my list.
12. Floral prints: Now here's something that I really like! Floral prints vary from tiny little pastel flowers to large boldly coloured ones and are always a must for spring. Floral designs look flattering on everyone and because they're so popular it's easy to find the exact design that's best for you. Flower power! ^_^
13. Animal prints: I am all for animal prints for the past few years. At first I was not sure about them because they appeared to make a statement but they have since become like a neutral and a staple in my wardrobe. Animal prints can be of any animal but the most popular ones are leopard and zebra. I decided to show you some more though because there are so many and you can find exactly what you want. Also, I really like the neon animal print trend (thing LMFAO) that I've been seeing but I am not sure whether I would actually attempt it.
Note: There are also prints with animals (horses, birds) and other patterns (hearts, stars) that have been popular for the past couple of years but until I see what will become of them I do not think they are a specific print category but either a variation of the polka dot print or just something that people printed on fabrics like they print anything else they can think of.
So, I hope you enjoyed this post and you found it informative. It took quite some time to find and write everything but I'm happy with it. So subscribe to my blog if you like and check out my youtube channel for beauty and fashion videos and hauls.
Love,
Kristine
