As I'm working on my Howl cosplay, I thought I'd share my favorite ten-second trick for determining if you've got the right contrast in your fabrics!
Take a photo and put it in grayscale. That's it!
When you want a design to read as recognizable, clear, and sharp from across the room, you want to be able to see the difference clearly in grayscale. Since I want the harlequin design to be clear on my Howl jacket, this will be perfect.
And you can use it the other way, too! For example, the reverse side of my pink fabric is a beautiful shiny light pink. In grayscale, it's the same value as the blue, even the same shine, and the only difference is the little bit of texture that comes through in the jacquard.
It would be a bad choice for a sharp, clearly visible design. But if I wanted subtle visual interest that didn't dominate the outfit, and didn't want the design to stand out, these fabrics would be a great complement!