Flounce in florals

Welcome to day 19  of the “New Year New You” Challenge, which I am hosting with Ceri from Fabafterfifty.co.uk. (although you don’t have to be over 50 to join in!), and tomorrow’s challenge is to “Flounce in Florals”.

We are posting each challenge the evening before so that you have time to prepare your outfit/ your challenge ahead of time.

New Year New You Challenge 2021 : Flounce in Florals

Whilst we may be waiting for the Spring weather to bloom, we can already bring a bit of floral inspiration to our look!

“Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.”

Luther Burbank

Flowers are of course beautiful to look at, but did you know they also play a part in stress relief? A study at Harvard University showed that flowers are a natural stress reliever and linked flowers to enhanced happiness, tranquility, compassion and even, creativity.

Now, whilst the study was based on the physical presence of flowers in the home and on the giving and receiving of flowers, maybe wearing a floral print can also enhance our mood!

In any case, I think that wearing a bright, cheerful, floral print (which is usually associated with spring, sunshine and new beginnings) would certainly lift my mood on a dull, winter day.

So, tomorrow I challenge you to “flounce in florals”, and let me know if it improves your mood!

That being said, it can be tricky to wear a floral print in the Winter, but just because flowers don’t grow all-year round in your garden doesn’t mean that you can’t incorporate them in your style all year round!

The key to wearing florals in Winter is to choose the styles and colours that are appropriate to the season, to pair them with the appropriate accessories (boots and sweaters) and to take advantage of layering tips and tricks.

Here are my top 6 tips for how to “flounce in florals” and have a look at this post for general tips on how to wear prints.

How to flounce in florals

1 Remember that “less is more”

A floral print takes “centre-stage” in it’s own right, so if you are wearing a bold, floral print top, dress or romper, you may want to avoid large, statement jewellery.

Sticking to minimalist, neutral coloured accessories is the key to keeping the look chic and polished.

And, don’t forget to take account of your personality, when choosing your floral print. A bold, bright, large-scale print is more dramatic and best suited to an extrovert personality. Conversely, smaller, softer floral prints are better suited to the feminine, romantic personality. If you don’t love the look of the print, you won’t wear it, no matter how flattering it is to your body shape and colouring.

I chose to pair this bold, floral print top from Sezane, with a pleated blue skirt from Sandro (which although it has a sheen to it, is monochromatic) and black boots.

2  Pay attention to colours

Choose prints in flattering colours, that will complement your natural colouring. If in doubt, remember not to wear the print close to your face.

But, don’t forget to take account of your body shape too and remember that light colours attract attention and make you look bigger whereas dark colours are slimming.

3 Pay attention to scale

Choose a print that is in relation to your overall body scale and features. If you are petite, you might want to choose smaller scale prints, whereas someone taller could carry off a medium to larger scale print.

However, in general, If you want to look smaller, wear smaller prints. Do NOT wear giant prints, especially on areas of your body you want to minimise. 

You also want to strategically wear the print so that it works in your favour, and use it to direct attention to the parts of your body you like and distract it from those that you don’t.

For example, if you are a pear shape and want to distract attention from your thighs, then you could wear a bright, floral top with dark trousers. Conversely, if you want to mimimise your bust, wear a solid, dark-coloured top with a floral print skirt or trousers.

4 Layer like a pro if you want to wear one of your summer, floral dresses.

There is no reason why you can’t wear a floral, Summer dress in Winter, if you use a few layering tips and tricks.

• Priviledge jewel tone floral prints, over pastels.
• Wear a crew-neck jumper or a turtle-neck underneath the dress.
• Wear a cropped sweater over the dress.
• Wear a shirt or button-down dress over the floral dress.
• Wear a pair of jeans or leggings under the dress.
• Pair with tights and boots.

5 Dress down your floral dress

If you want to make your look a little bit more edgy, and tone down the femininity of the floral print, then try pairing your floral dress with a suede or leather moto jacket (or a denim jacket in the summer, as I did in the look above).

You can also pair your florals with Doc Martens or sneakers for a more casual take on the look.

6 Opt for floral accessories

If you’re unsure about wearing florals or don’t want to incorporate too many flowers into your look, then try some floral accessories, such as :

• A floral print belt
• A floral print bag
• Floral print shoes
• A floral scarf
• Floral jewellery or floral hair accessories

Lastly, just have some fun with it, and experiment with wearing floral print in a way that feels good for you!

The aim of this challenge is to stay positive and fabulous as we start the year in lockdown again and to experiment and have fun with your wardrobe, by wearing what you already own to put together new outfits.

It’s about putting together what you own in new ways and shaking you out of your style rut. So, just have some fun with it and let’s “flounce in florals”! 

I hope you enjoyed these tips for how to flounce in florals, and don’t forget to have a look at all our style tips.