Street Seen – Our Top Fabulous Floral Fashions For August

Here at Flower Power, we see the world through flowers.

It’s actually a wonderful way to approach life. Find the beauty of nature and marvel at how people apply botany in so many ways, often without knowing it.

Sometimes I will be going down the street, and my head will literally jolt back. Because floral motifs populate a majority of fashions. Flowers can be sly little things. They don’t need to scream for attention or recognition. They can be delicately weaved into a fabric, clustered around a silk shirt or smack in the middle of a high-heeled shoe.

Because they come in a dazzling array of colors, flowers are companions to everything. Not only do they offer so many colors to complement any skin tone and style, but they come in so many interesting shapes. Small flowers. Big flowers, Chrysanthemums or roses.  Trust me. When you look at it through this prism, they are everywhere.

Certain designers considered flowers their good luck charm. The camellia for Coco Channel, the lily of the valley for Christian Dior, who sewed a flower in the hem of all his dresses, and also said, “After women, flowers are the most lovely thing God has given the world.”

More contemporary designers such as Tory Burch, Cynthia Rowley and Zimmermann among many find interesting ways to modernize traditional florals for their collections. Dolce and Gabbana’s clothes are for me the perfect fusion of sexy and floral. Yet Hobbes is my go-to for comfortable work dresses while Nicole Miller’s designs are always fresh and fun.

Once this idea is planted of seeing flowers applied everywhere,  you will see how much fun it is to walk around and look at people. It is a garden of delights – with some occasional faux pas. But even then, you shrug your shoulders and get pleasure from noticing how flowers connect people to feeling good. And it’s no longer primarily women. Men are now wearing floral motifs more than ever with Ted Baker and Robert Graham leading the way. Not surprising, really. Flowers are a universal kiss to remind us that beauty and solace exist.

Each month, we collect a group of iPhone shots of people we see wearing florals in fun ways.  We also hope that you will send in some of your favorites for our monthly gallery. Let’s have fun together seeing the world through flowers!

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When you are young and beautiful, these lacy ensembles are such a breath of fresh air. Though not a fan of all the see-through clothing, I did love the lace.

An example of a modern application of flowers. She styled it well with picking up the lovely yellow in the bodice and matched it with a yellow flower hair piece.  Hair accessories really can be as impactful as jewelry. I like them as well because when you put your hair up, it softens the potential severity of a bun.

Here was another example where someone paired a print from their outfit with hair ornaments. It really is a stylish flourish one can do.

Loved this woman’s exuberance and bravery in mixing patterns.  Even her earrings were a floral design. Flowers are a nice combo with animal prints. Normally you have to pair it with a neutral but not with flowers. Flowers blend in miraculously in so many places.

When you are editor Joanna Coles, she of Cosmopolitan and Marie-Claire fame, you are cooler than cool. Here she is in a Gucci jacket that has floral motifs that don’t dominate but do make a statement.

Feminine and eye-catching, this Page Siz reporter stands out in a crowd by choosing a happy color with floral appliques.

This dress was from Zimmermann. Instead of pastels, it has deeper hues which show the versatility of the motif.

How cute are these pants? Fashionista Joanna Fisher designed them and the outfit just worked. Fun, colorful, sculptural and high-fashion.

This dress had such an infusion of different flowers that I had to include it. She’s so happy wearing it. You know the adage, feel good, look good.

How amazing is this dress? Orchids but in a modern interesting color. It also happens to be my friend Alison whose style I just adore.

This is the cute couple shot below. While he wore a floral tuxedo jacket, his date’s dress was fantastic. Pretty, bold, interesting and seamlessly elegant.

This dress felt like a garden. It was just a pleasure to see.

Loved how these two friends both wore florals at a tea party. Obviously, they connect beyond flowers but their dresses certainly look pretty together.

When you are thin, you can really go bold in the patterns.

Liz Slaine showed how a cute frilly dress can be hip and cool with the addition of white sneakers. It turned out to be a perfect outfit for this Swiss exhibition of a sneaker sculpture.

 

 

What a treat to see Congresswoman Nita Lowey. She wore a flowered ensemble to a Caramour musical event we both attended. White pants are a great accompaniment to any patterned floral top.  As the Chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee – the first woman ever – she clearly sees floral motifs on clothes as a worthy investment!