Summer fashion seems like an escape from reality. Get out of the gray pandemic everyday life. So it’s not surprising that even the very eye-catching, fashionably very difficult psychedelic patterns are in vogue.
Frankfurt/Berlin – Summer fashion is always a bit more colourful, a bit bolder. But this year, designers have taken that to the extreme with psychedelic patterns that are as fun as they are sophisticated.
There are powerful structures, patterns full of spirals, snakes and whorls, graphic elements that sometimes make the gaze flicker. But paisley patterns and high-contrast, large-format flower prints can also be found in the current collections.
Feel like you’ve seen it all before? In any case. These patterns made their first appearance in the late 1960s and early 1970s. “They first appeared in the hippie movement, among students and among anti-Vietnam activists,” says fashion consultant Andreas Rose from Frankfurt.
Fashion statement for joie de vivre and optimism
The fact that these psychedelic designs can be found so often in the collections may be due to their time reference: With Fridays for Future, a renewed protest movement has established itself among fashion-conscious boys.
But that’s not all: “These patterns are also a fashion statement for joie de vivre and optimism,” says Rose. As is well known, you can never get enough of this, especially in these uncertain times in the midst of a pandemic.
Too obvious? How about black and white!
These patterns are striking. Therefore, they should be given space so that they can develop optically, advises Patrick Pendiuk, fashion editor of Vogue magazine. “It works best when you combine one piece in a colorful psychedelic pattern with another in neutral colors.”
If you like it more subtle, you don’t have to do without the look: this summer, psychedelic patterns are also available in more delicate nuances or in classic black and white.
Although the pattern mix, which has been practiced for a long time, remains popular in fashion, it finds its limits in psychedelic designs. They are so striking that mixing them with other patterns should be the exception rather than the rule.
Mastering the combination with these often colorful and deliberately restless patterns is “the pinnacle”, according to Patrick Pendiuk. “Because not only do the individual patterns have to harmonize with each other, the wearer also has to consider the proportions, the size of the individual patterns and many other details.”
Tip for a subtle combination
“This colorful and deliberately loud trend is particularly suitable for younger women,” says style consultant Inka Müller-Winkelmann from Schildow near Berlin.
In general, she also recommends subtle mixtures. “It looks best when you combine a skirt or trousers in a psychedelic design with a plain top in a calm tone,” says Müller-Winkelmann. A (leather) jacket over a brightly patterned top also softens its effect. Likewise, a wide, plain-colored belt.
On the other hand, the accessories can be a little more striking: “Scarves, sunglasses in the style of the seventies or a striking bag give it the finishing touch,” says Andreas Rose about this trend towards strong, striking patterns. dpa
