Big florals are for people older than 40. Yeah, right.
Intricate floral patterns have been gracing the runway for Spring 2008. Bally's latest advertising campaign features a kimono dress with various prints, including pink and brown flowers. Thakoon, Prada and Nina Ricci have all decided to cash in on the latest flower craze.
True, gigantic lilies, carnations and other botanical specimens on cloth do tend to age the wearer. True, the colors and size of the print can be tacky. And true, fashion manuals advise readers to stay away from loud and large prints. At the same time, prints in general are so much fun and incredibly unique.
The key to purchasing prints, whether they are floral, geometrical or animal, is to keep it simple and in small amounts. Color is also an important factor. Keep it young with lighter hues and avoid looking dowdy with contemporary styles. In addition, make sure you balance the busyness of a print with a neutral-colored item.
Walking around Newbury Street and finding affordable prints was difficult but certainly feasible. Here are some of my favorite picks.
Banana Republic's swing dress ($98.00), with its sky and cobalt blue flowers, is perfect on any skin tone and figure. Hitting above the knee, you could play with the volume of the dress by cinching the waist with a thick leather belt, balancing the puffed elbow sleeves. Add gladiator sandals and oversized sunnies for a boho chic vibe (which is making a comeback, by the way). Add Gap's new cropped trench coat in gargoyle taupe ($69.50), and you'll be set for spring!
For me, H&M is an abbreviation for Hit and Miss, but I was pleasantly surprised this week. Their simple shirtdress ($24.90 at 100 Newbury St.), which basically is a long tee, looked super mod with blocks of black, orange and pink. I know this isn't exactly a print, per se, but it was so cute that I needed to mention it. Imagine wearing it out with huge, borderline-tacky earrings and black pumps. That outfit would prepare you for your own six-page spread in Elle.
Digging through the various racks, I also found a china blue and white shift tank ($19.90) in a fan pattern, giving off a Japanese kimono vibe. The stiff cotton fabric helps keep the shift shape of the top. Balance the rigidity and vibrance up top with a flowing, neutral skirt. Romance and femininity are back for spring, so accessorize with many thin necklaces and charms or tie a sheer scarf around your neck.
Scarves can serve multiple purposes: head wrap, neck scarf, obi belt, bag decoration, arm sling, etc. Get several fashionable spring looks with one scarf! Best yet, since a scarf is an accessory, you won't drown your outfit in crazy prints. The scarf could be your focal point. I think Porter Grey's silk scarf in zigzag print ($87.50 at shopbop.com) is the ideal length and width to wrap around your head or waist. The strawberry and ice-blue colors are just colorful enough to satisfy the eye. Try tying it around the waist with a black dress or knotting it into a big bow around the neck with a white button-down.
Prints, especially florals, are fickle items in the closet. They can only match with so many things. Let the print be the focus of your outfit by keeping everything else relatively plain and basic. When you're out shopping, find prints that express your personality. Just make sure that you wear the print and the print doesn't wear you.
Lumay Wang is a freshman who has not yet declared a major. She can be reached at Lumay.Wang@tufts.edu.
