Fashion. It’s nothing if not cyclical. But do not be lulled into a false sense of security when I say florals are back.
The ditsy flower-print tea dresses of five years ago have mercifully been relegated to the fashion compost heap (along with the espadrille wedges they were worn with).
But this style is ripe for the picking, ripe for reinvention. Spearheading 2025’s subversion of the once-granny pattern is a bevvy of fashion houses including Loewe, Emilia Wickstead and Burberry. The latter has just released a collaboration collection inspired by Highgrove – yes, the King’s garden. Haute horticulture, if you will. Read on for our guide to the new rules to wearing florals this summer – shrinking violets need not apply…
Bloom in bold prints
Silk dress, £595, meandem.com
For lavish florals on the high street, try Mango – its rose-covered top, £89.99, reimagines 1980s chintz for 2025
When it comes to the print itself, ‘bold’ rules over ‘ditsy’. Think decadent maxi-roses, not cutesy daisies.
For Burberry’s collaboration with Highgrove, artist Helen Bullock explored the gardens of the King’s Gloucestershire home. The resulting illustrations that adorn the collection are unapologetically sprawling, not soft and shrinking – certainly not for wallflowers. No wonder queen of cool Bianca Jagger was spotted in a set from the collection.
Balancing act
A model walks the runway at the Marques’Almeida show during London Fashion Week
Ballerinas, £166, augustathebrand.com
Loafers, £99, jonesbootmaker.com
What you wear with your florals is as important as the floral itself. In the same way tailoring subverts a once-girlish print, your accessories should seek to similarly add balance.
Follow Loewe and Emilia Wickstead’s lead and clash your florals with masculine accessories – think loafers and minimalist clutch bags. Jones Bootmaker’s burgundy penny loafers will pair perfectly with jeans and a floral top. For separates, choose one colour from your floral print item and match the other half to that hue – just like Marques’Almeida’s Spring/Summer 25 show.
Add flare with 3D florals
Model on the catwalk Carolina Herrera show, Runway, Spring Summer 2025
Top, £120, mintvelvet.com
Trousers, £145, mintvelvet.com
Perhaps the most 2025 way to wear florals? Eschew print altogether and instead opt for 3D, textured florals. See the £14,700 gown that featured on Carolina Herrera’s SS25 catwalk (right) – a waterfall of pink organza poppies.
Elsewhere, Richard Quinn and Magda Butrym have led this movement – oversized, corsage-style roses adorn the neck and waists of many of their creations.
Selena Gomez wore Butrym’s £735 3D rose mini-skirt last month, allowing her to unite the punchiness of block colour with the romantic appeal of the florals.
On the high street, try Mint Velvet’s red top (£120) and trousers (£145, below), made in a fabric of tactile, laser-cut flowers. Add a black boater for immediate best-dressed guest status.
Opulent accessories
3D floral bracelet at 16Arlington’s SS25 show
Belt, £49.99, zara.com
If you’re looking to breathe some 2025 life into an old outfit, flower accessories are your best friend. Look for bold floral ones that take the granny staple and subvert it through sculptural shapes – those shaped as florals rather than printed with them.
M&S’s floral ruffle bag (£39.50) echoes Carolina Herrera’s £1,200 ‘Rosita’ clutch, or add opulence to old trousers with Zara’s gold floral belt (£49.99, below).
Just remember, don’t wear floral accessories with floral clothing – there’s full bloom, then there’s floral overload.
Stylish structure
Top and trousers, RRP £900, rent from £135, La DoubleJ at loanthelook.com
Jacket, £59, riverisland.com
Trousers, £46, riverisland.com
There’s something subversive about a bucolic floral and the sharpness of a suit. Marques’Almeida’s SS25 show featured a tailored co-ord that reinvigorated upholstery-worthy florals with a ‘don’t mess with me’ attitude. River Island’s floral suit (jacket, £59, and trousers, £46, right) works to similar effect.
If tailored florals feel too intimidating, look for structural details in floral dresses – see the neckline of the Carolina Herrera creation worn by Olympic athlete Keely Hodgkinson to collect her MBE in May. Reserved’s 1950s-style floral skirt (£45.99) has structure-inducing pleats at the waist.
