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How to Wear Floral Prints

by Lesley Kennedy (Subscribe to Lesley Kennedy's posts)
Posted Apr 19th 2010 at 2:10PM  
11 Comments
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A bounty of blooms at, from left, DKNY's spring runway show, Liberty of London for Target and Rebecca Taylor at Saks Fifth Avenue. Photos: Fernanda Calfat, Getty Images for IMG, Target, Saksfifthavenue.com

There is a garden variety of floral prints to help swing spring right into your fashion rotation right now.

Flowery patterns and designs were blooming all over spring's runways -- Marni, Anna Sui, DKNY, Dolce & Gabbana, Christian Dior to name more than a few. The list is nearly as long as there are varieties of orchids.

"During tough economic times, floral prints and vibrant, bold colors are popular because they are mood altering in a positive way," says Joanne Stoner, CEO of fashion site eDressMe.com. "Bright colors and floral prints bring a change from drab, winter colors."

Sonya Consentini, style expert at Marshalls and T.J.Maxx, says florals are universal when the sun really starts to strike. "It's a fun, flirty, feminine print that is versatile and a perfect look for the warmer months," she tells StyleList. "Depending on the print, florals can be sophisticated and upscale enough for work or a cocktail party, or casual and laid back for a weekend outing."

And Colleen Sherin, fashion director for Saks Fifth Avenue, says there are plenty of prints to pick from. "It's really all types of florals," she tells StyleList. "In general, we're finding that women really respond to color and also to printed patterns, so I think that a floral print really plays into that as sort of a natural."

Here's how to make the most of your flower power:

  • Posy placement: "Dresses are best for floral prints because wearing a dress creates the most impact head to toe," Stoner says. "They can be also paired with solid jackets to break up the print or to provide an alternative to a head-to-toe print."
  • Sun salutation: "A bright floral pattern on a sundress is a bold statement piece that can be worn at work or out on the town," Consentini says. "A printed floral tunic is a perfect pairing with designer denim or casual capris. Liberty prints are delicate on dresses and airy blouses."
  • A shrinking violet? "For those who don't want to wear a floral print but still want to nod to the trend, try a cardigan with rosette details, a pair of shoes with a rosette at the toe, or a handbag with rosette detailing," says Consentini.
  • Colorful bouquets: "This season, citrus colors are hot," says Stoner. "Juicy oranges, zesty lemons and luscious lime shades brighten everyone's day."
  • Best buds for your body: "Women should consider their body shape when choosing a floral," Stoner says. "Petite women may get lost or look swamped in a bold print. Larger women can probably carry a bolder print and may want to pair it with a jacket to break it up. Pear shaped figures and women who are top heavy should consider smaller prints because larger may create the allusion of more weight in the hips or the bust, respectively."
  • How to pair your petals: "If one is wearing a bold floral print sundress keep everything else simple: pair it with a pair of neutral wedges or flats and a handbag with little detail," Cosentini says. "With a bold blouse, pair with a solid cardigan, jeans and a colorful pair of shoes or handbag. Try a bright skirt with a solid blouse and gladiator heels. For a more delicate Liberty print, pair with a ruffled cardigan and gladiator sandals."
  • Dare to blossom? "It's fun to play with scale," Sherin says. "This season we're all about mixing prints, so we do love stripes worn with florals. If you're not that brave, try a solid color, but maybe a pop color that might pick up on one of the florals in the print."
Here's another trend to try: How to wear the new nauticals.
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Filed under: Fashion, How to Wear
Tags: dkny, edressme.com, floral, floral prints, FloralPrints, flower prints, FlowerPrints, liberty prints, LibertyPrints, marshalls, prints, Saks Fifth Avenue, SaksFifthAvenue, spring 2010, spring dresses, Spring2010, SpringDresses, style guide, StyleGuide, summer dresses, SummerDresses, tj maxx, TjMaxx
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by 5min
  • Wear Bold Floral Prints Like Emma Roberts and Amanda Seyfried Wear Bold Floral Prints Like Emma Roberts and Amanda Seyfried Play Florals are a Spring staple, but for the upcoming season, flowers are covering everything from jackets to pants. Spring 2012 runways, including Peter Som, Proenza Schouler, Erdem, and Alexander Wang showed off head-to-toe prints, inspiring us to try out this trend ourselves. So in today's episode of Currently Trending, we headed to Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills to show you how to rock bold florals right now.
  • How to Wear Floral Prints from Day to Evening How to Wear Floral Prints from Day to Evening Play See how to expand a fun springtime trend from office chic to edgy evening perfection with the help of a few key accessories!
  • How to Mix and Match Bold Florals How to Mix and Match Bold Florals Play Alia Ahmed Yahia shows you how to easily mix and match the season's big, bold florals
  • How to Take a Feminine Print From Day to Night How to Take a Feminine Print From Day to Night Play Take a flirty feminine print from daytime to night by using these fashion tricks! Plus, see how to rock floral on floral.

READER COMMENTS

(11)Add A Comment

cnaeye, 4-21-2010, 10:11AM

2.5 stars vote downvote upReport
cnaeye

Love the mumu with a belt. Love it. What a laugh. I suggest finding a floral slipcover, wrap it toga style, and cinch the waist with a belt. Just keep the flip flops simple, and go easy on the accessories. NOW we're talkin style

Reply »

zhejiangsheng, 4-21-2010, 2:12PM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
zhejiangsheng

If one is wearing a bold floral print sundress keep everything else simple: pair it with a pair of neutral wedges or flats and a handbag with little detail," Cosentini says. "With a bold blouse, pair with a solid cardigan, jeans and a colorful pair of shoes or handbag. Try a bright skirt with a solid blouse and gladiator heels. For a more delicate Liberty print, pair with a ruffled cardigan and gladiator sandals.It has been 1 years alrealdy since i retired from the military. I'm 30 ,rich but still single.It's hard to get a girlfriend in my town ,most of them like my money more than like me.Ijust want to find my true love.so i uploaded my hot photos on militaryloves . c om under the name of sammy561.It's the best club for seek ing Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Police Force, and their admirers.if you girls see this comment,i hope you will check my photos out there.maybe you are the one who i'm looking for!!!

»

Susan, 6-20-2010, 4:01AM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
Susan

wedding-dress, coctail-dress, black-dress, evening-dress, strapless-dress, prom-dress, formal-dress, party-dress,

»

Phil, 4-21-2010, 12:55PM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
Phil

I found great dresses for Spring, great floral prints and the new trend "Jeggings" all under $50. Check out: www.SheGlam.com, great site for women looking for a deal.

Reply »

FSW, 4-21-2010, 3:05PM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
FSW

In the phrase
"...because larger may create the allusion of more weight in the..."
that should be illusion.

allusion - "An allusion is a literary term, though the word also has come to encompass indirect references to any source, including allusions in film or the visual arts. "

illusion - "An illusion is a distortion of the senses, revealing how the brain normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. While illusions distort reality, they are generally shared by most people."

Reply »

Susan, 6-21-2010, 2:10AM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
Susan

http://www.edaydress.com

Reply »

Susan, 6-20-2010, 4:10AM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
Susan

wedding-dress, evening-dress.com

Reply »

Petra, 1-31-2011, 6:19PM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
Petra

Just love the dresses

http://mydietoptions.com/

Reply »

prom dresses, 2-16-2011, 1:40AM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
prom dresses

dresses http://www.dressesshop.com

Reply »

party dresses, 6-13-2011, 2:51AM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
party dresses

It's a nice post,thanks for sharing!
http://www.partydressesonsale.com

Reply »

prom dresses, 8-08-2011, 3:09AM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
prom dresses

Happy commenting, and keep it classy.Prom dresses

Reply »

 
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