Brian Maynor February 27, 2014

When I talk with clients or groups about the spring floral trend it isalways met with a small grumble or visceral shutter, and that’sunderstandable.  For years floral prints have been seen as old, dated,quintessentially feminine and about as far from modern, sophisticatedand powerful as you can get.  All of that is going to change as we moveinto spring.  Here are two inspiration looks and all you need to know to embrace flower power:

1.    Larger prints.  When you think of old, dated or feminineprints you often think of small flowers repeated heavily.  This is onetype of floral print, but certainly not the only type.  Asian, tropicaland abstract floral prints will dominate the markets this season andthey look more like works of art than pieces of furniture.

2.    Saturated Color.  Floral prints follow the same rules asevery other color.  If you want to invoke authority opt for prints thatare deep, rich and vibrant.  This rule applies not only to the color ofthe flowers, but also the color of the background. 

Black and navy backgrounds read as more sophisticated for sure, but anycolor, like this yellow, will work as long as it is not lighter than the flowers themselves.  Cool, light and pastel colors are soft and airy,but that also comes through in their impact. 

3.    Streamline.  Along with pastel colors, to keep you lookwork-appropriate there should be minimal embellishments.  You certainlywant to avoid bows, ruffles, ribbons or any other ‘childish’ adornment.  Ideally the pieces will have clear, clean lines with nothing extra atall.

4.    Counterpoint.  Floral suiting was very popular on therunway, but they should be reserved for weekends and casual occasions.  The most floral in one outfit you want to wear to work is a dress, andthat should either have a largely visible background to balance the size of the garment or a solid second piece to ground it.

To further the professionalism of a floral print in the office you can’t go wrong pairing it with a white shirt.  Whether you choose a crisp,starched oxford or work in another spring trend like lace; the starkness alone provides the necessary balance.

5.    Menswear.  While menswear inspired pieces are anotheroption for ladies to strengthen the overall authoritarian impact oftheir outfit, true menswear is embracing flower power in full force this year. 

No longer only acceptable as a tie or pocket square, floral prints cannow be found in pants, shirts, blazers and all manner of accessories.  If you are still acclimating to the idea of men wearing floral, ties are still the perfect place to start, just remember to avoid the 70’sthrowback make sure your tie is no more than 3” wide.

Join nature this spring and embrace the power of flowers.  They will not only brighten your day they will bring new life to your post-winterwardrobe.