What Motif Makes You Happy? - YouLookFab Forum

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About: Finding Emotional Balance in My Style

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What Motif Makes You Happy?

Joy

Veteran

Thinking about emotional balance I am finding that dragon motifs make me most happy. After reading Tanya's post that mentions kitty prints and knowing some love butterflies or skulls, I was surprised to find that dragons make me smile...Celtic or Oriential ones not cutesy. The pieces below have dragons incorporated into the print. Do you have a favorite motif?

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Dressing

46 replies

Latest reply was from Sheila

El Cee

Veteran

My favorite motif has got to be Paisley... but dragons are cool!

Tanya

Veteran

Well cats, of course, but they have to be stylized, not cutesy if that makes sense. Also some butterflies and birds.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

How cute, Joy. Dragons are fab. Have you seen those movies - How to Train a Dragon? They are sublime. So was Game of Thrones.

Have we seen you wearing dragons, Joy? Natalie loves dragon flies. And YES. We've seen you in fab Asian patterns, which you wear well.

I'm not sure I have a favourite motif. I have a soft spot for things with Yorkies on them - hence my lipstick holder and toiletry bag. I have loads of Yorkie socks too.

Colours elicit a LOT of happy emotion for me - and you know what my happy colours are. Tomato Red, Apple Green, Citron, Turquoise, White, Shocking Pink, Ink Blue, Dutch Orange.

Stripes and dots make me happy. So can a gorgeous spaced and abstract floral.

Catseye London 'Yorkie' Cosmetics Case

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Joy

Veteran

El Cee, I also like paisley but haven't had any for awhile except a giant very open one on white on a tunic.
Tanya, stylized is important, isn't it?

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I love those dragon prints, Joy! I recently had an old chair restored and reupholstered (it belonged to my grandparents originally, I believe), and seriously considered this amazing red dragon print fabric, but it was way expensive and the chair is a little on the small side to take advantage of the full effect of the print. I may cover another, larger chair we have in that print someday. (The dragon print is pics 1-2, the "before" of the poor old chair is pic 3, and pics 4-6 are what we ended up choosing for the chair makeover.)

As far as motifs to wear, I have a soft spot for Asian prints, especially those incorporating koi fish, cherry blossoms, etc.

I really enjoy motifs from nature -- leaves, trees, watery colors and patterns, and I'm a sucker for a good bird print (nothing too cutesy). I love florals but am quite particular about which ones I will wear.

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El Cee

Veteran

Giant paisley is FABULOUS!!! Would love to see your tunic, Joy.

Joy

Veteran

Angie, who could ever resist that sweet Yorkie face? I also like dragonflies and hsve some dragonfly jewelry. My dragons are rather subtle and may not show up much in a WIW.. I have not seen those movies but there was a great dragon in (I think) one of the Snow White movies.

Diana

Veteran

I have a whole Pinterest board for this.... But basically botanical prints, nouveau-ish stylized florals, Japanese prints.

https://www.pinterest.com/akab.....ye-prints/

Joy

Veteran

Janet, I love that dragon chair! I'd be tempted to have the fabric made into a jacket or pencil skirt.
El Cee, I will see if it is in my Finds.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Diana, I love your entire Pinterest board! No surprise there.

Joy

Veteran

Diana,all those prints are fabulous. I like the ginkgo motif and the long life cranes print the most.

JAileen

Veteran

The obvious answer is birds, but I don't think I have many represented in my clothes. I have dozens in my house, though! The pattern, if any, in my clothes is mostly geometric - stripes and plaid.

Karie

(website)

Veteran

Polka dots! How can you not smile when you see them? Stripes run a close second. When I spotted this dotted stripe shirt in the J Crew catalog, my car practically started itself.

Boatneck T-shirt in dotted stripes

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Bonnie

Veteran

I like your dragon prints. I'll be on the lookout for my own since they are calling to me. Right now, I only have plaids and birds.

KikiG

Veteran

Dots. Paisley. Perhaps, bees.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Joy, were you born in the Year of the Dragon? Your dragon prints are beautiful!

I like stylized cats (like Tanya). And I'm fond also of oriental motifs especially in blue and white -- often birds. And toile, which is similar at times. But my favoured prints are stripes and checks. Like Angie, I think colour elicits the most happy emotion for me.

Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

Wow, interesting, Joy! I wouldn't have guessed.
I love fleur de lis. I don't wear them much, though. I have one on a keychain, bought in Paris, which makes me smile.

Sara L.

Veteran

I like peacocks but I don't have much right now. I used to have a fabulous mesh peacock feather print top but it wore it out finally.

Anonymous

It's hard for me to resist animal prints, i.e., zebra, leopard, giraffe. I have to restrain myself or they would be on me and all over the house!

Elizabeth P

Veteran

"When I spotted this dotted stripe shirt in the J Crew catalog, my car practically started itself."
Almost ruined my keyboard with this one. too funny

I seem to have a thing for owls on tees. Well, I have two. But I do like owls.

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texstyle

(website)

Veteran

Abstract florals for me - love painting them, photographing them, using them in home decor, and sometimes wearing them.

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

Another member of the 'Paisley Club'!

Cerinda

Veteran

Snake or python print for sure. Tiny houndstooth and paisley prints next. I adore William Morris, Liberty, and Arts & Crafts prints but wouldn't begin to know how to wear them.

catgirl

Veteran

Aw, How To Train Your Dragon! My son and I absolutely love Toothless.

Dragons are wonderful. I like skulls and panthers and snake print and feathers and pineapples... Lots of things, actually as long as the colors and patterns speak to me.

AJ

Veteran

Stripes and polka dots usually catch my attention in the stores. However, I find myself buying floral prints more.

I also discovered this year that pieces which swing, sway, or float as I move just makes me smile all day (last 4 finds).

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Teva Original Universal Floral

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Floral Linen Pocket Tee

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Women's Apt. 9 Georgette Camisole

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Apt. 9 Print Mixed-Media Tee - Women's

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3

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Women‘s Bree Footbed Sandals

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Striped Swing Dress

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1

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White House Black Market

Woven Overlay Dress

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Neiman Marcus Last Call

Twist Short-Sleeve Asymmetric Shift Dress, Black

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Inge

(website)

Stripes will always be my first love. I adore dots, checks and argyle too (perhaps these all belong more in the "pattern" category though?).
I'm also drawn to beautiful floral patterns, but it's very "I have to see to show it to you".

I also love all kind of abstract prints and quirky motifs, but for the latter will have to think about which ones I'd like to wear myself some more.
Oh, suddenly "lighthouses" flashes through my mind. Curious to see if I'll ever come across a garment with an interesting lighthouse motif.

And items that combine two stunning motifs get my vote too, like this gorgeous blouse and skirt combo.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/246642517071786930/

Liz A.

Veteran

My fashion style is very different from my interior design style. When it comes to clothes, the main patterns I have are florals with some repeating geometrics mixed in. In my home, the motifs are more varied with very few florals except for a bedspread and some oriental (is this PC?) rugs.

I guess I would say there is sort of an Asian/tropical motif that pervades.

rachylou

Veteran

I don't have one. But I'd like a motif!

Anonymous

Stripes in cream/grey!!! Florals in saturated colors!!! Can't pick which one I love more.

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