Long gone are the days when wearing florals meant looking like your grandmother. Nowadays, there are tons of options for anyone who wants to wear florals (or any other prints for that matter). So whether you’re into dresses, tops, or shoes you can definitely include florals without looking like a shrinking violet.
With florals it’s a good idea to stick to just one item per outfit. Mixing florals is very difficult to do because each floral pattern is structured differently and has its own set of colors. Therefore, I’ll be focusing on giving you foolproof pointers that will work 100% of the time so that you are guaranteed to look fabulous every time you step out the door.
Shape: The key to not looking frumpy in a floral dress is finding one that has some shape to it. Or if it’s loose, then grab a belt or large ribbon and cinch the waist. Wearing a shapeless floral dress or top is a surefire way to add pounds to your frame. Take a cue from the Sex and the City ladies. All three are wearing very bold prints but all three outfits fit perfectly around the waist. Suddenly florals don’t look so frumpy anymore.
Long sleeves or short: Long sleeved floral dresses tend to be overpowering and can easily look like something from Little House on the Prairie. If you’re going to go for long sleeves, then follow actress Paula Patton’s example below and show some skin. In her case showing skin on top and the bottom helps to reduce the impact of the very strong prints in her dress.
If you’re going to go for long sleeves and full length, then opt for a dress like Oprah’s. Her dress uses very subdued florals and they’re only on the bottom half of the dress. The top half employs solid, dark colors which complement the bottom half perfectly.
This leads me to my next point…
Body type: If you think florals are only for skinny girls, you’re completely wrong. As with every fashion trend, the key is finding what works for your body type. Oprah’s dress above shows that florals can work when you’re top and bottom heavy. Notice that she chooses a dress that shows off the bust and minimizes her bottom half. The dress also has an A-line cut, which means it hugs the body at the top and then starts to flare out slowly from the waist. It floats softly around the lower body but doesn’t hug. The sleeves of the dress are also 70s-style bell sleeves that flare out as you go towards the wrist. The cut and colors all work to create a very feminine, sleek silhouette.
Your mood: What if today you’re feeling girly and want to show off your feminine side? Then you can go for a muted dress like this one, which creates a fantastic hourglass shape thanks to the contrasting print that is applied just beneath the bustline:
But what if you want to let your inner rock star shine and the only clean piece of clothing you have is a floral dress? Well, just pair it with some killer lace-up boots like Rihanna. It’s a little sweet and a little rock ‘n roll:
Or you can go for a floral-and-leather dress similar to Rihanna’s (the girl does have a love-hate relationship with florals doesn’t she?). However, to prevent people from asking you how much you charge per hour, wear it with flat sandals rather than sky high heels.
Shoes: My favorite way to add flower power to my wardrobe is via shoes. There’s something about dressing up the feet! With floral prints available for pumps, flats, and s, you can be adorned in flowers year round! (Just look at those pink boots. To die for!)
And one more thing, when the temperature starts to drop that’s no excuse to let go of florals. Aside from floral boots, you can also wear a tunic such as this one with jeans, leggings, or tailored pants:
You can also wear your summer dress well into fall by throwing a fitted cardigan over it. Or wear a mock turtleneck underneath your favorite knee length, sleeveless summer dress (just make sure to stay in the same family of colors when adding the turtleneck). If you’re really hesitant to give florals a go, then at least grab a floral-inspired scarf during the cold months. The colors and prints will perk you up while you shovel snow!

In this flirty spring shoot, Song Hye Kyo looks absolutely precious in pastels. She wears a darling swing coat in coral pink which displays a large bow detail at the neck and two large buttons at the center front. Under this adorable spring coat, feminine ruffles are revealed from a flowy, white dress. To accessorize, Song wears strands of faux pearls in shades of pink and orange, as well as large bead bracelets in similar colors. Her teardrop earrings of pale pink look simply stunning with her long, dark hair which is pulled partially back. To complete this look, Song wears sheer, shimmery color on her eyelids and coral pink lipstick.
この flirty の春で撃つ、歌へ”を pastels に絶対に貴重な似ています。彼女はサンゴ、首と 2 つの大きいボタン センター前面に大きな弓の詳細を表示ピンクでかわいいスイング上着を着ています。この可愛らしい春上着の下で、女性の ruffles から flowy、白いドレスが明らかです。accessorize には、歌の偽の真珠の素線のピンク、オレンジと大きなビーズ腕輪のような色で網掛けでいます。彼女の teardrop イヤリング淡いピンクの部分的バックをひくは長い、暗い髪を単に見事な参照してください。この外観を完了するには、宋険しい、shimmery の色は眼瞼とサンゴのピンクの口紅を着ています。

In this delightful photo, Song Hye Kyo inspires a feeling of vintage romance. Posed on an exquisite floral upholstered chair, she wears a shimmering crewneck top in baby blue. The top features gathering at the bust, as well as a black satin sash with bow detail that cinches the waist for a flattering fit. The short sleeves reveal a long-sleeved tee of a paler blue worn underneath. For the bottom piece, Song wears dark gray shorts of a shimmering fabric, similar to the top. Though beautiful on its own, this outfit would not be nearly as breathtaking without the accessories shown. On the upper left on the top, Song wears two flower pins of sparkling gemstones. Around the neck, she wears two strands of white beads, one large and one small. In her hand, she holds a fabulous clutch with attached pink embellishment which mimics delicate rose petals. Her hair is worn short and simple, framing the natural beauty of her face.
この美しい写真で歌へ”ヴィンテージ ロマンス感を刺激します。優美な花 upholstered いすにポーズをとった、すると、彼女は輝く crewneck 上部 BABY BLUE で着ています。胸像を収集、最上位の機能と同様、黒いサテン帯弓詳細ではお世辞発作は腰が cinches します。短い袖長袖ティー、青い paler の下を帯びて、明らかにします。下の部分は、暗い灰色の半ズボンに先頭のような輝くファブリックの歌を着ています。独自に美しい、この表示、アクセサリーもほぼは息をのむはずがないです。左上に、花の 2 つのピンきらめく宝石の歌を着ています。首には、彼女は白いビーズ、1 つの大きなと 1 つの小さなの 2 つの素線を着ています。彼女の手では、彼女は、素晴らしいクラッチは繊細なバラの花びらを模倣し、添付のピンクの embellishment を保持しています。彼女の髪の毛には、短くて単純では、彼女の顔の自然の美しさをフレームを帯びています。