Clean lines, triangles and circles

Classical fashion thinking would have us believe that one patterned item is enough to set off an outfit: a printed tee with a pair of plain jeans and a blazer, for example; or a floral dress with neutral accessories. But, of late, designers have been pairing their prints and patterns for a clash of cultures and aesthetics, a visual overload of colour and design.

Unlike, say, Prada's socks'n'sandals trend, this is one thing that the average Josephine has been able to incorporate in her own wardrobe without too much of a risk and, in a lot of cases, without an enormous investment. Penneys is just one of the cut-price high-street shops offering brightly patterned pieces that you can mix and match to your heart's content.

For spring/summer, it's all about geometric patterns – clean lines, triangles and circles, led by digital-print collections by Peter Pilotto and Louis Vuitton's checquerboard nod to the 1960s. River Island has done a great line in diluting these formats and making them accessible – check out the soft prints in this black, white and navy shirt and skirt duo. M Missoni's knitted vest gets a push from Anna Sui's pleated print skirt, while Michael by Michael Kors's jungle-print tee – which could so easily be toned down with denim – is pumped up by Marc by Marc Jacobs's bright pink striped skirt.

Top tips? Don’t think about your prints in terms of matching or coordinating – if they’re too close to one another they’ll look mismatched, rather than clashing in a purposeful way. When it comes to colours, go big or go home – and just before you leave the house, take a look in the mirror and put on one more thing. More is more, darling.