Clashing floral patterns is this one of this seasons most eye-catching trends, and we are fully here for it...
Florals for spring might not be all that groundbreaking, but that doesn’t stop them from flooding the racks every year come May. You go to grab a couple of t-shirts from Primark, and suddenly you’re knee-deep in a meadow - flanked by everything from daisies to chrysanthemums. It’s enough to make you sneeze.
So what do you do? Throw on one of these ditsy numbers, a pair of sandals, and go about your day? Of course not - that would be too normal, and normal is not fashionable. So to escape the disdain of Miranda Priestly, read on to find out how you can make your florals groundbreaking.
When it comes to botanicals, the trend of the moment is floral splicing - and if that sounds vicious; well, it kind of is. The trend is all about contrasting one flowery pattern with another - the clashing designs battling it out for the eye’s attention. It’s not exactly easy viewing, and that’s the point. If you’ve read any of the other columns this year, you’ll know by now that 2018 is all about twisting expectations; about making family members squint with confusion when they look at you. To look stylish, you need to disorientate.
Jason Wu took this disorientation to the next level in his Spring 2018 collection, with one dress pairing a tropical, floral pattern with monochrome and polka dots. The shape of the piece - torn at the thigh and at the midriff - adds to a feeling of chaotic, rough readiness. Far from dainty, the dress gives its wearer an aura of boldness, of tenacity. “Call me ‘petal’ and suffer the consequences,” it says.
Parisian blogger Nelly (of Muses Uniform) regularly provides great examples of how to mix floral design and harsh lines. Take a tip from the influencer by combining a crisp oversized shirt with a denim skirt that’s severed suddenly at the left thigh. Nelly proves that you don’t necessarily need to chop up your florals to add an edge - just maim some element of your outfit, pair it with flowers, and you’re good to go.
But for those who’d like to chop and change with a softer touch, let Peter Pilotto be your guide. At London’s Spring show, a willowy model gluided down his runway in a deceptively simple maxi dress; made up of layer after layer of differently coloured (yet stylistically similar) floral patterns. It’s soft, it’s delicate, and it’s all very grandma’s curtains. Take note fashion fans, because that is like so in right now.
Speaking of grandma, vintage is another trend you should be incorporating into your floral fantasy. As we saw a couple columns ago, 60s boho is making a major comeback - and the more modern you can make it, the better. Blindingly bright colour is an easy way to achieve this - something the designers didn’t forget in curating their meadow fresh ensembles.
Dolce & Gabbana, for instance, set blooming roses against a black background in one piece, and trimmed the garment with zigzagging bursts of yellow, blue and red. The outfit packs an extra punch in its incorporation of over-the-top accessories - the model glaring out of bejeweled, spherical sunglasses; Christmas-tree ornaments swinging either side of her face like wrecking balls. Marc Jacobs, meanwhile, took the front-row on a heady 70s trip with psychedelic, oversized flowers in colours like mossy green, neon pink, turquoise blue, and dirty yellow. Shouty accessories were again paramount.
Many of us might look at this mishmashing of prints and wonder if maximalism is reserved for the runway. Fair enough - but it’s absolutely not, with bloggers like Miranda Makaroff showing us how to tone things down for lunch with the parents. Check out her outfit here - the florals are bright, but far from being an eyesore. The white background of the trousers marries perfectly with a pair of simple white mules, and the perfectly coordinated, hot pink tee injects an air of casualness.
A breezy, sporty feel can also be achieved by a t-shirt or sweatshirt thrown over a flowery dress or jumpsuit - and you’ll get extra style points for contrasting patterns. Trainers and clunky boots are also your friend if you’re looking for some urban glamour; along with sporty headgear in the shape of baseball caps and bucket hats.
And how could this guide be wrapped up without mention of throwing a leather/pleather jacket over your shoulders? Little could be more effective in taking you from princess of the posies to a guitar-wielding rock chick. Push things further by adding studs, fishnets or a sloppily-tied corset.
Flowers for summer may seem basic, but in no way does that need to be the case. The beauty of florals is that you can disrupt their delicacy any way you like - appearing urban, whimsical, psychedelic, sporty, or all of the above. The only criteria? You need to make people look twice.
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Follow: amelialiana
Showcasing her commitment to all things floral, Amelia’s beautiful feed will also give you some major wanderlust.
Go and see: Orla Kiely: A Life in Pattern
Looking for more inspo of how to make your florals innovative? Check out this exhibition, held in honour one of the UK’s most iconic designers. It’s held at the Fashion and Textile Museum in London, and runs until September 23rd.
Read: this brief history of floral fashion
If you’d like to know where all this flower power stems from, here’s a neat little recap.
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