Floral prints are very feminine. However, they are tricky to style. This guide addresses Dos and Don’ts of floral print attire to look ageless in floral prints.

In this guide

Why to Avoid to Look Like a Peer Mom
- Best Cuts for Floral Print Garments?
- Which Cuts Look Unflattering with Floral Prints?
How to Style Outfits with Floral Prints
Outfit Inspirations How to Look Ageless in Floral Prints
When and Where to Wear Florals?
Conclusions on How to Look Ageless in Floral Prints
Top of the World Style Linkup No. 307

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Why to Avoid to Look like a Peer Mom

Looking ageless means not looking Old Lady and not looking like we rioted our (grand)daughter’s closet – aka Peer Mom. To look ageless in floral clothes the print, color, cut, and styling are keys.

Which Blossom Prints Are the Best for Mature Women?

Let’s start with the print. Here is a list of ageless prints:

Hand-painted abstract blossoms,
Blossoms that are office appropriate,
Floral prints in rich gemstone colors like ruby, emerald, sapphire, amethyst, or peridot,
Classic Hawaiian hibiscus like pattern,
Flower pattern in vegetable or mineral colors,
Abstract flowers.
Leave-like prints.

floral inspired dress pantyhose, brown bag and sandals — Aigner sandals, Longchamp satchel, native American belt, Taylor’s Stone’n Gold quartz cube earrings, sun-protective dress c/o Coolibar and sunglasses c/o Sungait

Which Floral Prints Look Unflattering Over 40?

Here is a list of prints that get you into risky territory:

All Laura Ashley like floral prints
60s Mod flowers (Recall – we don’t want to relive our youth/childhood, we are proud of who we are now! We had lived the Flower-Power history actually.)
Kid flower prints
Pastel prints (they are for bed sheets and PJs) unless your personal style is Romantic Style.
Provence florals (they are so 1980s and date us)
Prairie prints unless you are an actress in a Western movie or participate in a historic parade celebrating the Golden Days of the Gold Rush in your community

The following photo shows examples of both categories of the patterns. See the difference!

ageless vs. aging prints — The two prints in the left panel look timeless, while those on the right are examples of prints that look unflattering after a certain age

Best Cuts for Floral Print Garments

Now to the cut. When you wear floral prints go for clean, sleek cuts. Minimal details in the cut are keys with a floral print to look stunning. Shirt dresses, sheaths, and wrap dresses are save bets. Sleek gamine style medium size floral print bias cut midi dresses are great for women with small breasts. Also blouses or shirts in a crisp button-down shirt-cut. Classic tank tops are also a good canvas. Pencil skirts, blazers, scarves, and tops are great canvas for grown-up floral prints as well. Floral coats, bags and shoes are real statement pieces.

Stylist’s tip: When you are pear-shaped (triangle shape), avoid any pattern on your hips as they draw attention to where you don’t want it. Determine your body shape with the free tool.

Fit-and-flare dresses can be risky. It requires a grown-up print in bold colors, and knee-length (see first inspiration photo below) to stay out of girlie territory.

Which Cuts Look Unflattering with Floral Prints?

Avoid shift/A-line dresses, anything with ruffles or full skirts (Old Lady alert!), puff sleeves, sweet or girlie that a kid would look cute in, short fit-and-flare dresses with scoop cleavage (peer mom alert!) or short skater skirts (riot alert!). Wide pastel floral prints on pants look like PJs and only work in Alaska.

How to Style Outfits with Floral Prints

Always ground your prints. This means adding accessories in one of the (main) colors of the print. Doing so is easiest when using the print’s background color. In winter, black tights and shoes are a save bet too.

Stylist tip: Let the print be the statement and add sleek, elegant pieces. Avoid anything that makes your outfit look too busy.

Alaskan fashion blogger kneeling in a wild flowers field in floral skirt pink top — Side view of look described below

over 50 years old style blogger illustrating an ageless look in floral prints — Abstract print, top picks up a color of the skirt. Paloma Picasso vintage sunglasses, statement gemstone belt, Hermes collier de chien bangle, Liz Claiborne pumps, Longchamp pilage, unbranded sweater, Talbot floral print skirt, vintage bangle, pantyhose, and top c/o Coolibar

Outfit Inspirations How to Look Ageless in Floral Print

The photos below, show some outfit ideas with comments and explanations regarding the “risks” and why the look works.

stylist in floral skirt with striped top and white denim jacket — The print of this skirt is “risky” as it is a modern interpretation of the Mod flowers. To make it work for anyone over 50 all styling must be modern too. Save bets are pairing it with stripes or other pattern. Back in the 60s, mixing pattern and prints was a no-no except for quilts. More on the history of flower prints.

older woman in ageless blossom top with white jeans — This example shows an abstract blossom top in ruby red, and coral with black on white and is grounded by the white boyfriend jeans and belt.

over 50 years old fashion blogger in orange sweater with floral skirt outfit — Lula Roe fit-and-flare abstract print dress worn as skirt, GNW tights, Vince Camuto boots in one color of the skirt, unbranded sweater in matching a color of the skirt, citrine and moonstone necklace, Hermes collier de chien, smoky quartz ring

over 50 years old nuptial ceremony guest with silk floral coat to stay warm in the late afternoon — Banana Republic golden floral print silk coat. This sleek silk coat works despite of the pastels, because the size of the motifs, their abstract design and the classic cut make this coat daring, but ageless.

older influencer showing how to look ageless in floral prints — eShakti abstract floral print dress, Winkwood wooden sunglasses, Valentino studs, unbranded fuchsia scarf, Coach striped bag, Hermes collier de chien bangle, Hermes enamel bangles

mature summer outfit with flower-patterned denim skirt and color block top — Back view of casual look

mature summer look with flower print skirt — Outfit details: Loft tropical print on a denim pencil skirt, Ray Ban sunglasses, Hermes collier de chien bangle, silver necklace (gift from my Mom), eShakti color block top and Liz Claiborne open-toe pumps

Alaskan woman in summer outfit with abstract flower pattern — Loft tropical print skirt with silk top, L.K. Bennett wedge pumps, straw hat, and Esprit bag

When and Where to Wear Floral Prints?

This print is an evergreen that works for almost for all occasions, but Black Tie. That’s why they are a celebrity favorite. More on how to wear floral prints year round.

And yes, floral prints can look office appropriate.

Conclusions on How to Look Ageless in Floral Prints

Avoid kitschy florals, too close to nature prints. Choose sizes that work with your body frame. Pick the motifs in your color palette, i.e. make sure colors that don’t work for you are avoided or have a very minor role). Make sure the blossoms fit your personal style. …. and always ground your prints.

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