2008 Woodie Awards
April showers bring May floral, patterned prints
Couture Critic
Lindsay Turner
Issue date: 4/25/07 Section: Life & Style
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Flowers are blooming in nearly all designer collections this spring. Almost every fashion magazine is featuring a five-page spread about the newest bold, bright blossoms on designer skirts, dresses, tunics and tops.
Turn the page and you'll find an assortment of stripes, polka dots, squiggly lines and many other patterned prints that are vast and vivid.
Bizarre patterns are about the only similarity seen in designer collections this season, and they all seem to be used with silk and satin for a luxe look. But these patterns don't look all that glamorous or fashionable (unless you buy an authentic Miu Miu dress and wear it somewhere people will know it's a couture garment).
I say this because bold stripes, big spots and animal prints are the hardest patterns for women to wear, especially this season. Why? Because they have a huge potential to be very, very unflattering, that is unless you have the same body as an Elle Mag model.
Even still, there are some beautiful uses of flower patterns, strange squared prints and polka-dotting this season, but most of these pieces use smaller circles and use squares only in classic, geometric ways. Watch for those; there are great, cheaper versions of the couture out there. These can make any girl look fashion-forward and glam at minimal cost.
Here are some things to watch out for when selecting a patterned piece this spring.
Keep in mind your body type when selecting each print. For instance, vertical stripes aren't as dangerous for fuller-figured ladies, but horizontal stripes, as large or wacky as the ones designers like Chloe are putting out there, give an illusion of wideness.
Big flowers, dots or squares also are hard to wear because they draw attention and make you look bigger. Hourglass and bottom-heavy girls keep a look out for solid-colored tops, skirts or dresses that feature only a little flowers and dots on only a small portion of the garment.
A top, dress or skirt covered entirely in a specific or several prints, can plump and poof any woman's appearance if she's not careful.
Flowers are scary this spring. I've never seen flowers this big before. On clothes, I mean. Steer clear of the big, bright flower-covered dresses if you want to show off your figure. Huge florals flatter few. Think back to your Easter dress when you were 12 years old. Prada and Anna Sui designers must not have been forced to wear a pastel monstrosity when they neared puberty. Lucky them.
But the facts of a wearing print life are this, the more petite you are, the bolder, bigger and brighter you can go with these prints, especially if you are trying to simulate a curvy frame. For those trying to simulate a more slender physique, and must have a patterned print this season, piece them with a dark skirt, pant or top. Avoid going head-to-toe in flower prints or block patterns.
Whatever your shape or size, there is a perfect printed pattern out there for you this season if you want it. Just keep you in mind and not Hilary Rhoda or Jessica Stam. shopping for it.
Turn the page and you'll find an assortment of stripes, polka dots, squiggly lines and many other patterned prints that are vast and vivid.
Bizarre patterns are about the only similarity seen in designer collections this season, and they all seem to be used with silk and satin for a luxe look. But these patterns don't look all that glamorous or fashionable (unless you buy an authentic Miu Miu dress and wear it somewhere people will know it's a couture garment).
I say this because bold stripes, big spots and animal prints are the hardest patterns for women to wear, especially this season. Why? Because they have a huge potential to be very, very unflattering, that is unless you have the same body as an Elle Mag model.
Even still, there are some beautiful uses of flower patterns, strange squared prints and polka-dotting this season, but most of these pieces use smaller circles and use squares only in classic, geometric ways. Watch for those; there are great, cheaper versions of the couture out there. These can make any girl look fashion-forward and glam at minimal cost.
Here are some things to watch out for when selecting a patterned piece this spring.
Keep in mind your body type when selecting each print. For instance, vertical stripes aren't as dangerous for fuller-figured ladies, but horizontal stripes, as large or wacky as the ones designers like Chloe are putting out there, give an illusion of wideness.
Big flowers, dots or squares also are hard to wear because they draw attention and make you look bigger. Hourglass and bottom-heavy girls keep a look out for solid-colored tops, skirts or dresses that feature only a little flowers and dots on only a small portion of the garment.
A top, dress or skirt covered entirely in a specific or several prints, can plump and poof any woman's appearance if she's not careful.
Flowers are scary this spring. I've never seen flowers this big before. On clothes, I mean. Steer clear of the big, bright flower-covered dresses if you want to show off your figure. Huge florals flatter few. Think back to your Easter dress when you were 12 years old. Prada and Anna Sui designers must not have been forced to wear a pastel monstrosity when they neared puberty. Lucky them.
But the facts of a wearing print life are this, the more petite you are, the bolder, bigger and brighter you can go with these prints, especially if you are trying to simulate a curvy frame. For those trying to simulate a more slender physique, and must have a patterned print this season, piece them with a dark skirt, pant or top. Avoid going head-to-toe in flower prints or block patterns.
Whatever your shape or size, there is a perfect printed pattern out there for you this season if you want it. Just keep you in mind and not Hilary Rhoda or Jessica Stam. shopping for it.
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