Tips for Styling Floral Prints

Hello, dear reader!

Floral prints are everywhere this spring (like many springs)! Want to dip you toes in the floral trend, but are pattern wary? Or maybe you love florals, but want to wear them in a new way that feels more modern? Try one of these if florals are a challenge for you…

Find Your Floral

I struggle with florals, because although my personality skews heavily feminine, I do not like traditionally “feminine” colors or prints on me. I prefer more classic prints, and more intense colors. So I skip the pastels, and those realistic or tiny prints, especially on a light background. You can find pop-art bright florals, dark background florals, abstract florals, floral lace, all kinds of different varieties. Keep your eyes open for one that speaks to you. And if none of them do, that’s just fine! There is no Must-Wear-Florals statute in effect.

A Touch of Tough

If a floral feels too soft or “girly” give it a touch of tomboy with a denim jacket or vest. Denim is also a great way to take a floral from fancy to everyday. In cooler weather, a leather jacket, or boots/booties is another option to take some of the soft out of a floral and give it an edge, and is a great way to transition that summery look into fall!

Accessories

Not a florals clothing person, but feeling the itch to indulge a spring floral whim? You can find floral accessories everywhere, in all kinds of color combinations! I’ve seen floral earrings, and necklaces in metallics and colors. I fell head over heels with a floral print watch last fall, but couldn’t choose a pattern… A floral pin/brooch can be a great way to add a touch of color and flair to a jacket or business suit. (You can find very inexpensive ones at the big box craft stores!) In the accessories department, the easiest place to find florals is on scarves. That is often where the greatest selection can be found in color and style… Everything from impressionist soft watercolor florals, to bold bright crayon drawings are in the stores. I love to look for scarves at second-hand and consignment shops! Lots of bang for little bucks. How about a cute floral tote? One of my favorite spring/summer capsule staples is a pair of floral pumps. They make jeans and a white tee look like a garden party!

Pattern Mixing

Feeling bold? Try mixing your floral with another pattern! Polka dots, and stripes are an easy mix with florals. It looks most cohesive if the color in the dot or stripe is found in your floral. Here, the two outfits on the right use stripes. The dark pinstripe trousers tie with the dark leaves in the floral print blouse, and the blue and white stripe shirt ties in with blue details in the skirt. The blue shoes tie it together and make it look intentional, rather than the I-got-dressed-in-the-dark look! Florals and plaids are a bit trickier, but since the plaid coat on the far left is only a black and white combination, it picks up on the black and grey flowers on the pink dress. A black shoe here would have looked too harsh against the pale pink floral, so I choose grey, which ties in with the appearance of the plaid. (Black + White = Grey)

Here’s hoping that I have given you a new way to look at floral prints this spring! And maybe the encouragement to try something new? I am still loving the bright floral dress I bought this time last year; it served me well through the winter (dark background) and I am looking forward to wearing it without tights and boots and a sweater once the weather warms some more…

How about you? Do you love floral prints? Or wouldn’t be caught dead in ’em? I love to hear your thoughts! Please feel free to start a conversation in the comments below…

Stylishly yours,