How to Wear Florals Without Looking Like an Old Timey Plantation Owner

If you've been in a mall, read a magazine or walked by an Urban Outfitters in the past like, two seconds, you'll notice one massive trend for spring: florals. And these aren't your modern graphic florals, but rather Laura Ashley-esque pastel florals in large amounts. The can be jarring to look at. And yes, if you wear them the wrong way, you WILL end up looking like an old timey plantation owner. But wear them right and it's super flattering and on point with spring trends.

Floral peep toe pumps, $70
Black pump shoes, $30
Peep toe heels, $45
Black Poppy Black Poppy Floral Bow Toe Ballet Flat, $20
Rocket Dog Own It Floral Pump, $45

If you don't want to go whole hog, florals on accessories like shoes can totally update an outfit without making it seem like you just wandered from Tara. Floral in small amounts is super appropriate, and how adorable are these shoes? Seriously. Buy them all. When wearing florals on your shoes, avoid matchy matchiness up top. I would do a pump with a medium wash jean and a crisp pin tucked shirt, or a flat with an a-line khaki skirt and scoop neck tee. Neutrals are best because they aren't so overwhelming with the busy patterns on the shoes.

Flower print dress, 25 GBP
Flower print dress, 25 GBP
Floral skirt, $38
Strapless Watercolour Floral Maxi, 30 GBP
Floral print skirt, $81

Now, if you're ready to venture into floral clothes, skirts and dresses are a natural next step. They are pretty and girly and adorable. Remember that to look current, you want florals that are smaller and more traditional in patterns. What I REALLY love is when it looks like a traditional floral print has been enlarged, like on that maxi dress. Wear with a pale pink cardigan and you are adorable. Also, floral skirts lend themselves well to edgier pairings. I might do a flowy floral skirt with a leather jacket to temper the sweetness.

Miss Selfridge floral top, 22 GBP
Old Navy vintage top, $18
Dorothy Perkins crewneck cardigan, 28 GBP
TFNC chiffon top, 30 GBP
Daytrip crop top, $30

Finally, the floral tops. I have like 60,000 because I love them so much. They are super easy to wear since they have random patterns and can hide any trouble spots. Just remember to look for patterns according to your own size. If you are medium-sized, look for medium-sized flowers. The important thing about wearing these new-school florals is to make sure they have modern cuts. There's a massive difference between wearing a floor length Laura Ashley jumper and wearing a cleanly-cut cardigan.

Forever21 peep toe heels, $32
Platform shoes, $23
Wedding handbag, $30
Pearl jewelry, 3.60 GBP
Betsey Johnson vintage jewelry, $25
MNG by Mango belt, $32

Now, the new way to wear florals is with neutrals. Particularly nude neutrals. (Did I ever tell you that if you ask my husband what his favorite color is, he'll always respond neutral? I have no idea how we ended up married.) Anyway, I still don't mind a little pop of color. I sometimes wear my fave pink floral cardigan with my red shoes because I like how romantic the red and pink are together. But everything else? Tone it down! Or I will assume you have a Southern accent and pick cotton sometimes. PS I love those buckle-y pumps and must own them IMMEDIATELY.

So are you going to give the floral thing a go?