Does the thought of mixing and matching an outfit send a shutter through your wardrobe? It shouldn’t! One of the keys to getting a "stylized" look is having the confidence to mix patterns and create a look that is truly you.

Mixing patterns can be tricky but if you follow a few rules, laid out by Afiya and I on our style mission, you can create this ultra-chic look.

When mixing pattern don’t bring in too much colour – it can look a little out of control. I also like to avoid dizzy patterns (swirls and zigzags) altogether – they can tend to look a tad tacky. Fortunately, the stores at Vaughan Mills had plenty of chic patterns for us to play with.

My number one rule when it comes to mixing pattern is to partner a hard pattern (think of something graphic with sharp edges, like a stripe or check) with something more soft (organic shapes like circles and floral work best). This hard/soft rule works every time as the patterns don’t compete with each other and you don’t get lost in a sea of one look!

For our favourite outfit, we paired a soft pattern (a polka dot blouse from Carrier Studio) with a hard pattern (horizontal striped sweater from Lacoste). The look was pure, preppy style at its best – perfect for spring/summer 2009!

I loved Michael Kors' Spring 09 ready-to-wear show – as per his usual beloved style, the collection was filled with lots of classic silhouettes (think shifts and sheaths, tees and trousers) and colours such as navy, white, black and red. All lust-worthy and totally wearable, but it was his pairing of strong polka dots with stripes that really caught my attention. Before this, I don’t think that I would have thought to pair the two together, but the use of neutral colours really grounded the unusual combo and kept it from being overwhelming.

Channeling Michael Kors, Janette and I found a perfect striped sweater at Lacoste Outlet and a beautiful silk polka dot blouse from Carrier Studio, both classic pieces on their own, but a bit more punchy as a combo. I would wear this with a full skirt à la Kors runway, to the office or a lunch meeting or with denim for a brunch date.

While mixing patterns is totally on trend, I think that that this look can easily go wrong so I’ll stick with neutral (i.e. safe) colours to avoid looking like a crazy person. And definitely no more than two patterns, three colours max.