Flowers And Fashion

For sure, you have a floral dress or floral top hanging in the closet. Florals are a wardrobe staple; they easily add colour and dimension to your weekly rotation. Easy to dress up or down, you can wear florals to work or for a Saturday night out. Even the gentlemen of today incorporate floral prints in their wardrobe.

History of Floral Textile

Flower prints in textiles have an undying charm so expect florals to never ever go out of style. Floral fabric started in Asia with Japan’s chrysanthemum-printed kimono fabrics, brocades from China, and chintz from India. Then, the most popular floral prints feature the famous lotus flower, carnations, and peonies. In India, saffron flowers are hand-painted on wax-coated cotton fabrics. The popularity of floral-printed textiles spread globally by 1400s and it grew exponentially that prints created by master craftsmen from delicate techniques like Katazome rice paste printing and Hama Gasuri dyeing were easily and quickly replicated hence more floral textiles were made easily accessible to consumers at a more affordable price.

Flowers in the Runway

At this modern period, there’s the well-loved small and sweet Liberty florals and the iconic hibiscus on Hawaiian shirts. You can now also find extra large and bold floral prints splashed across wrap dresses. Flower crowns and floral bracelets are on trend, too, as seen on cool and casual music festivals and in chic and rustic weddings.

The allure of a floral print is also well-appreciated in high-end fashion. Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, Paco Rabanne, Louis Vuitton, Carolina Herrera, and Michael Kors had models walk the runway wearing floral prints all over and outfits with extra bold and extra large flower prints.

And then there are the floral printed designer bags – from Gucci’s GG Blooms collection to Hermes Graffiti bags hand-painted with flowers. You can now easily find floral print footwear too ranging from Louboutin floral platforms to floral Dr.Martens. As you may have observed in catwalks, flowers have indeed invaded fashion from head to toe.

Florals: A Trend to Stay

This inherently beautiful print is simply here to stay. What’s not to love about them anyway?

It seems that flowers, even when just printed on textile, still have a natural charm and a positive aura that attracts people and make them feel good. Just like how blooms and blossoms that flourish during summer and spring scatter hope and optimism, floral prints on articles of clothing boost the wearer’s mood. The hippie movement’s flower power also shows us how wearing flowers in hair and dressing in floral clothing can inspire peace and tone down feelings of fear and anger.

Studies have already shown that flowers can affect people’s moods. It can have an immediate impact on one’s happiness and it can have a long-term positive effect on moods. So go ahead and surround yourself with flowers – fresh or not. A bouquet in your dining room or a floral dress in your wardrobe can be all that you need to get your daily boost of optimism and inspiration.

When was the last time you wore something floral? Do you remember how it made you look and feel?