Once you have a wardrobe full of bright prints, a new problem shows up: how do you actually put two of them together without a kid looking like they got dressed in the dark? Print mixing and colour blocking is a genuine styling skill, not just luck, and it is one that matters more at Baby Goes Retro than at a lot of stores, because the whole range leans toward genuine colour and print rather than block neutrals. Here is a practical way to think about it, with four real pieces to try it on.
Rule one: pick one loud print as the anchor
Choose a single statement piece, a bold stripe, an all-over character print, a busy floral, and let it lead the outfit. Everything else in the look should be quieter than that piece, not competing with it. If the anchor is a striped jogger, the top should be a solid colour pulled from one of the stripe's shades, not a second pattern.
Rule two: treat rainbow and stripe pieces as your neutral
This sounds counterintuitive, but a rainbow stripe or multi-colour piece actually works like a neutral in an outfit, because it contains so many colours that almost anything sits comfortably next to it. A single-colour top or bottom in any one of those shades will read as coordinated rather than clashing, which makes rainbow pieces one of the easiest starting points for a kid who wants to dress themselves.
Rule three: repeat one colour, not the whole print
You do not need two pieces in the same print to look put together. Pull just one colour out of a print and repeat it somewhere else in the outfit, a sock, a headband, a pair of leggings, and the whole thing reads as deliberate rather than accidental.
Four pieces to build a mixed-print outfit around
Toby Tiger Organic Cotton Multi-Stripe Kids Joggers, $49.95
A rainbow stripe jogger that works as the neutral base described above, sized 2-3y to 5-6y. Shop the Toby Tiger Multi-Stripe Joggers.
Kite Sunny Duck Print Leggings, $19.95
A busy duck print in yellow and blue, a good anchor piece to pair with a plain top rather than another pattern. Shop the Kite Sunny Duck Print Leggings.
DUNS Sweden Multi Radish Mineral Yellow T-shirt, $39.95
A block colour top in mineral yellow, sized 6-7y and 7-8y, an easy way to pull one colour out of a busier bottom without adding a second print. Shop the DUNS Sweden Mineral Yellow T-shirt.
Pals Socks - Rainbow Face & Mr Gray, $14.95
Pals Socks come as two different, deliberately mismatched designs in one pack, a small way to practise mixing patterns without committing a whole outfit to it. Shop Pals Socks Rainbow Face & Mr Gray.
Start small if you are not confident
If mixing prints feels like a stretch, start with socks or a headband as the "second pattern" rather than a full top or bottom, the stakes are lower and it is an easy way to build an eye for what works. From there, browse the full rainbow kids clothes collection for pieces designed to work as that flexible neutral base, or look through kids unisex clothes 3-9 years for solid colour basics to pair against a bolder print. Orders over $97 AUD ship free Australia-wide.
Frequently asked questions
How do I mix prints on my kid without it looking chaotic?
Pick one bold print as the anchor piece and keep everything else solid or muted. A rainbow stripe or multi-colour piece can act like a neutral because it already contains so many shades, so a plain top or bottom in one of those colours will look coordinated rather than clashing.
What is colour blocking for kids clothes?
Colour blocking means pairing solid, single-colour pieces together rather than prints, usually pulling colours that already exist in a print elsewhere in the outfit. It is an easy way to make a busy piece look more deliberate.
Are rainbow stripe clothes actually easier to style than plain clothes?
In a lot of ways, yes. A rainbow or multi-stripe piece contains enough different colours that most solid-colour items will match at least one of those shades, which takes a lot of the guesswork out of building an outfit.
Where can I see all the colourful kids clothes in one place?
The rainbow kids clothes collection on the Baby Goes Retro website groups together prints and rainbow stripe pieces from across different brands, which makes it easier to compare and mix and match.
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