The Art of Compromise in Fashion (or my love/hate relationship with florals)
I am a super girly girl. I wore ONLY dresses until I was about 9 years old (a girl named Sam with short hair needed to establish just who SHE was, right?). Patent mary janes were my favorite shoes for years. I love makeup, manicured nails, perfume, and having doors held open for me. I also have no shame admitting my girliness EVER.
In keeping with this, I also love flowers. Fresh cut flowers are welcome anytime in my home and just make me smile. Perhaps it’s because I live in a home FULL of boys (even the dog is a boy), but anything flowered feels feminine and pretty.
Spring 2017 is FULL OF FLOWERS!! YAY!!! W by Worth (the luxury fashion company I’m a stylist with) has STUNNING florals in skirts, dresses, even JEANS! I was a little light headed upon seeing it. I pictured myself at a fancy ladies’ tea or the Kentucky Derby wearing my gorgeous florals and sipping tea (or mint juleps). Reese Witherspoon would welcome me to her home with every bit of southern hospitality you’d expect
And then…I put them on. I expected to look just like Emily Blunt in her precious Dolce & Gabbana
when in reality, in a floral, I look more like this ————————–>
WHY? What is WRONG with me that I cannot pull off a floral?
Like Kim Kardashian (OMG am I about to compare myself to her?), it’s just not my style. Kim has a very specific look which is straightforward with lots of whites blacks in very clean lines. Apparently Kanye encouraged her to stick with a classic style and palate that flatters her and it definitely works. This Met Gala mess aside, her style now is just what it should be and showcases her, um, assets. Also, like KK, you cannot fit a square peg into a round hole. The Met mistake has soooo much less to with being pregnant than the fact that she just isn’t meant to wear flowers!
Is there a way to make it work?
Last week, I pulled the trigger on spring. I ditched all the black from my winter closet and vowed to wear pinks, greens, and everything springy. I grabbed my FAVORITE floral top from W by Worth and debated how to make this work. It’s a gorgeously detailed floral lace overlay cami.
I am VERY much a jeans girl, so my plan was to keep the uber-feminine top grounded into my typical “uniform.” I added my FAVORITE Kate Spade vintage pumps for color which tied in flowers in a way that WORKED without overwhelming. These floral pumps are a BASIC in my wardrobe. I mentally decided they are truly a “neutral.” My treasured blush Vince scuba jacket and a pop of purple in my bag (pulled from the shoes) complete the look. Here’s the end result:
By grounding the florals in clean lines and the edge of a moto jacket, it allowed me to take a girly style I love and translate it to a look that works. While I believe that there are no real rules in fashion, there is definitely COMPROMISE. Not every seasonal trend can work on every woman 100%. If there is a look you want to try, choose a piece to layer in with what you own and love.
Unsure how to do it yourself with what’s in your closet today PLUS all the choices out there? I do image coaching personal styling in person AND virtually!
PS Here are some GREAT examples that blend feminine floral with clean lines or an edge…from W by Worth! All W by Worth items are linked for detail, but please contact me to order–I have promotions going on right now that aren’t available on the links!
No Comments