This is kind of a twist on my Business Casual Superstar series. I was raiding a friend’s closet, as is my way, and I noticed all the floral prints she had. Cute floral miniskirts, floral camisoles, floral sun dresses, floral scarves, and even a cute little cropped floral jacket.
I ended up settling on a cute floral mini-dress, and she commented that I might as well wear (okay, she said “pilfer,” but we’re just splitting hairs now) that while I could because once fall hit, they’d go all the way to the back of her closet, so far back that they’d be off having adventures in Narnia.
So that got me thinking about how to bring florals into fall and winter – which I’ve done before. Tons of women are skittish about wearing florals to work or school once the summer months pass (and dress codes generally seem to loosen up a bit during the summer, or is that just me?).
So here are a few guidelines I came up with, as well as some of my favorite florals for under $50. Let’s take a look.
Some basic guidelines to wearing florals into fall:
- Stay away from peachy, corally items. These reek of summer.
- Incorporate smaller florals when possible, even though larger prints aren’t verbeuten or anything.
- Select pieces that incorporate cooler hues: blues, purples, greens.
And as always, don’t go overboard. You only need one floral piece in a fall ensemble. Seriously. Don’t go overboard.
Let’s take a look at how to incorporate florals into different pieces in your ensemble.
1. T. Tahari Floral 3/4 Sleeve Tunic ………. $29.99
2. Floral Tunic ………. $49.00
3. Long Floral Print Cami ………. $44.00
4. Silk Georgette Tie-Neck Blouse ………. $39.00
The first two are tunics. Tunics, in my experience are good for fall. They’re long and generally have longer sleeves, but they’re loose and billowy and, if in the right fabric, breathable when it warms up during the day. They can be worn with pants, skinny trousers, or with a chic pencil skirt and a belt. (And, of course, jeans.) Note the colors. The first one is bright, but it’s got a lot of purple/magenta in it to cool it down for a fall look. The second is subdued, with cooler tones as well.
The long floral cami is something that you’d definitely find in my dresser. I have always been a big fan of lingerie-inspired pieces: silhouette-skimming, lacy little things in soft fabrics. The black here offsets the summer flower-power of the floral print. Worn under a cardigan or a blazer (even a cropped blazer or jacket), this is a perfectly acceptable floral look for the office.
The last pick has made an appearance on this site before and is from, surprise, surprise, Victoria’s Secret. It’s georgette, which, though silk, is breathable enough on warm days. It’s loose and billowy with cute ruffles and ties at the neck, and definitely something right out of my closet. And it’s blue, a good fall color, with a small, delicate floral print. This one’s a no-brainer, really.
Supernatural, Shadow Print Floral Tank Dress ………. $49.99
Petite Print Squareneck Dress ………. $29.99
Alfani 3/4 Sleeve Floral Print Wrap Dress $40.05
The logic here is much the same. We’ve got both big and small prints, but in cool colors.
The first is black and white, which is a no-brainer. And it’s cute! I generally like Nine West apparel. I am kind of creeped out by how much the model looks like one of my former friends. Ugh. Weird.
The second is a squareneck in cool indigo with a small print, busy but not overpowering. The last one is a red floral wrap, but the black lines calm down the bright, summery feel.
City Stretch Belted Print Pencil Skirt ………. $39.95
Floral Herringbone Skirt ………. $22.99
Soulmates Floral Chiffon Skirt ………. $9.50
Pencil skirt in blue floral print, pencil skirt in a muted grey, and chiffon skirt in cool cyans. Check, check, and check.
Susan by Emma Cook Crochet Cloche ………. $38.00
Subtle Luxury Summer Breeze Floral Scarf ………. $37.00
Silk Scarf ………. $14.99
On to the accessories! I love the crochet hat. I have a cream crochet hat and matching crochet mittens that go both with my yellow peacoat for fall and my camel-and-grey winter coat. Big on crochet. This one’s cute and vintage-y with the great big flower, and I like it.
The first scarf is blue and billowy, acceptable enough for fall. Not my first pick, but whatever. The grey one is what I’d go for: a soft grey color, silk, with a sparse floral print. Classy.
And there we have it! Let us wear our rosebuds while we may – through spring, summer, and beyond.
[...] floral skirt on the bottom because it’s interesting and work-appropriate. We already had our little discussion about florals, and how to bring them into fall, and this is a great example of that because the print is larger [...]
[...] and, in the right style, perfect for the office. We’ve already had our discussion on bringing florals into the fall season, and this blouse is a great example. We’ve got a slightly larger, busier floral print, but [...]