Spring 2008 looks from Balenciaga, Dolce & Gabbana, Stella McCartney, and Dries Van Noten. Click for full-size.Florals for spring is the ultimate no-brainer, but typically designers try to stay away from the obvious. Not this season, however: fashion houses all across the board scattered buds and blossoms all over their Spring '08 collections. Although usually they're strictly the fare of the super-girly, florals this season appeared in every possible incarnation, from splashy, '90s watercolor flowers by Balenciaga and Stella McCartney to Dolce & Gabbana's big, decadent blooms and the wallpaper-bold poppies and peonies Dries Van Noten marched down the runway.
Whether your look leans toward ultra feminine, understated chic, or something a little more rock 'n roll, you can work spring's floral prints into your style for a look that's both up-to-the-minute and totally you. Here are some of my petal-print picks for every style.
The Look: Sweet and Girly
Florals aren't a stretch for anyone with a feminine, flirty sense of style, so it's important that your spring picks look fresh and different. The trick is to choose pieces that have a nostalgic feel without looking like throwbacks.
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About the picks: The Impressionist pastel print of the dress (from American Eagle Outfitters) has a cool early '90s vibe that reminds me of Kate Moss in her disheveled prime. The black embroidered edge of the calico blouse (from Forever 21) adds a little edge to a down-home print while still maintaining a super girly silhouette, and the beaded, embroidered cardigan sweater (by Nick & Mo, from Nordstrom) has a vintage style without looking dated.
Accessorize with delicate pieces that could have come out of your grandma's 1930s jewelry box, like these vintage gold rings from Day-Lab and painted pendant necklace from Urban Outfitters.
How to wear them: Pair flirty, girly pieces like these with solid classics to keep your look from floating away. Try a light denim jacket or a tailored trench to ground a flowered dress or blouse, or add edge with a pair of riding boots. Stick to structured handbags in earthy leather shades (think cognac and tan rather than chocolate browns) -- the more hardware, the better.
The Look: Quirky and Unique
When you march to the beat of your own fashion drummer, working a flowery print into your wardrobe is easy. Look for pieces with a psychedelic, arty feel, or seek out your florals in unexpected places like handbags and headwraps.
About the picks: The striped dress (from Forever 21) is so 1979 Miami! The mixture of splashy, tropical flowers with bold magenta stripes is unexpected enough to makes a statement all by itself. And I love the wild, almost art nouveau floral print of the tunic top (also from Forever 21) -- it reminds me equally of a Tiffany lamp and something Janis Joplin might have gone on a drinking binge in.
Adding a punch of print through your accessories is also an option -- I like the hippie sensibility of this still very modern purse from Urban Outfitters and the kimono-esque print on the trendy headscarf from Forever 21. When searching for floral-inspired jewelry, look for ethnic, bohemian pieces that have a one-of-a-kind quality, like this ring crafted of wood, turquoise, and mother-of-pearl (by Isharya, from Max & Chloe).
How to wear them: The beauty of statement pieces like these lies in their wearability -- you can wear them by themselves and they'll stand alone, or pair them with equally quirky accessories for a truly unique look. I picture a strong-printed dress like the above with understated sandals and a classic handbag to tone it down, or with a pair of hippie-style boots (I like the idea of a fringed pair from Minnetonka) and bold accessories.
When working with loud-print accessories like the headscarf or handbag, you can take it down a notch with a classic-shape dress in a complimentary color (American Apparel can satisfy your every need in this department) or punch it up with one-of-a-kind vintage pieces -- I know you have some in your closet. I love the idea of that headscarf with a '70s-style denim romper!
The Look: Classic Chic
For girls who dress with a timeless outlook on style, even florals are sometimes a bit much. The key to fitting spring's flowery prints into a refined, no-frills look is to choose understated patterns and embellishments in classic shapes and colors.
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About the picks: Not so much a print as a ladylike embellishment, the embroidery on this navy dress (from Forever 21) lends the same feel as an all-over floral while maintaining a chic overall look. This warm-weather-ready silk top (also from Forever 21) keeps it classic via its '50s-pinup sweetheart shape and gorgeous Asian-inspired floral print in a subdued color palette of rust and gunmetal grey. And an old standard, the circle skirt, gets a Spring '08 update with a tiny all-over flower print edged with varied-width stripes for a vintage touch.
Floral accessories with understated chic should feel like forgotten heirlooms, the kind of jewelry you might find in a tray under glass in a dusty Southern antique mall. This gold filigree heart pendant (from GirlProps) opens up to reveal a locket, and simple plastic rosebud studs (Forever 21) are reminiscent of Bakelite jewelry from the '40s and '50s.
How to wear them: The best way to give spring florals a classic makeover is to treat them like Audrey Hepburn might in Roman Holiday. For daytime, pair a dress or skirt like the above with espadrilles for a vacationing-on-the-Riveria vibe. For night, slip into slingback stilettos -- a stacked heel in particular gives off a retro air without slipping into kitschy. A tunic top like the one above looks perfect with cigarette-leg jeans in a super dark wash; a pair that hits an inch or two above the ankle is ideal with understated ballet flats.
The Look: Rock 'n Roll
Floral prints are hardly synonymous with rock 'n roll, and in the past the only way for a rocker to pull of a flower pattern involved black-and-white tapestry prints better suited for upholstery. Boring! To wear this look while maintaining a tough edge, look for prints that focus on leaves rather than blossoms and big, abstract shapes in bold hues.
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About the picks: Andy Warhol-esque prints in pop art colors make florals rock 'n roll without getting obvious. A vine-print frock (from Forever 21) avoids being too sweet with a navy-and-plum color palette and a sexy belted shape. A piece like this could stand to be taken to the tailor and shortened to a scandalous length or stand as-is for a more subdued look suitable for meeting the parents or wearing to work. More casual days call for a big leaf-print cami like this one (from American Eagle Outfitters) -- the black and mustard shades are easy to work around. For cocktails, I'm obsessed with this coral-and-white wallpaper-print sheath dress (also from Forever 21). The bold color palette ensures that you're no shrinking violet, the shape is party-ready, and best of all, the neckline is embellished with metal pyramid studs for a punk rock touch.
When it comes to choosing jewelry along this theme, nothing is more rock 'n roll than black lacquer and gold. This Kenneth Jay Lane black camelia ring (from Max & Chloe) is the ideal combination of goth and luxe -- it looks like something Gomez might have given Morticia for Valentine's Day. And this lacquer bangle embellished with gold bees (Forever 21) puts a little sting into a floral print and adds a touch of humor to a springy outfit.
How to wear them: I love the idea of structured black or dark burgundy-brown leather with these clothes -- a shrunken leather bomber jacket would add the right amount of toughness to any of the above pieces. The same effect can be achieved with dark denim. These prints look great juxtaposed with lots of punk rock hardware -- try a handbag tricked out with chains and buckles or a pair of dangerously high studded ankle boots.
Further inspiration:
Scour Ebay, thrift stores, and vintage stores for floral prints -- since it's such a classic pattern and there are so many ways to interpret it, you're bound to find some things you can make work. Keep an eye out for watercolor prints involving tiny all-over blossoms (like the Balenciaga and Stella dresses above), big, strong prints reminiscent of Georgia O'Keefe paintings, and bold, splashy prints that stick to a limited but bright color palette for prints that will feel the most on-trend.
Things to stay away from: dark, tapestry-style prints (they tend to look too old), any print leftover from the flower-power resurgence of the early '90s (though true vintage '60s prints are obviously a different story), cartoony florals or big florals involving a vast array of ultra-bright colors, and Hawaiian-style flower prints.
Check out all the Spring 2008 Ready-to-Wear collections at Style.com.
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