Well, actually it’s raining today, too, but the principle still stands: Chicago is finally in bloom. Geez, Spring. Took you long enough. Let’s hope Summer doesn’t wait until August to make an appearance. My wardrobe doesn’t know what to do with itself. Nevertheless! The flowers are here, and not only in the garden. Floral designs have been a mainstay of sartorial embellishment for centuries.

Once upon a time fans were a very popular accessory, and were even a key part of Victorian flirting. Depending on how a lady held her fan, she could convey love, annoyance, or even permission for a kiss. Many fans had Asian-inspired designs, like this one festooned with cherry trees in bloom. (see inset) So, if a lady breaks up with you via fan from across the room, at least it’s a pretty fan.

The perfect outfit isn’t complete until you’ve got the perfect bag, right? Or should I say the perfect reticule, which is the proper term for a small purse from the eighteenth or nineteenth century. Often they were heavily embellished, and quite sparkly. This beaded reticule has a pretty flower motif—and every color of the rainbow to match anything in your closet.

Floral-printed shoes have been popular since the 18th century, but it was Christian Dior’s New Look that really made the phenomenon explode in the 1950s. Dior teamed up with shoe designer Roger Vivier to create shoes using the same printed textiles as the dresses. The result was a head-to-toe, perfectly matched ensemble in bright colors and patterns. Floral-print shoes were suddenly all the rage on runways and sidewalks alike.

But honestly, how could I write about florals without mentioning flower power? The hippie movement worked its way from the commune to the catwalk in the 1970s—like this textile from a Geoffrey Beene day dress. Nothing perks up basic black like fresh-picked daisies!

Florals are still all the rage. Go check out Diane von Furstenburg at Bloomingdale’s, or Tracy Feith at Target. Spring’s popping up all over.

Tags: Costume, Couture, Fashion, Floral, Flowers, Meghan Smith, Spring, Textile

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 27th, 2009 at 4:16 pm and is filed under Collections. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.