Florals For Fall--What's Old is New (again)

Jan davidsz. de heem, *Flowers in a Vase*

This year, fall florals are returning in rich, dark colors. Maybe it was my trip to Holland this summer, but these prints remind me of classic still life's from Baroque Dutch masters.

This blouse from Club Monaco has Jan davidsz. de heem's hand all over it (see the image to the right for reference). So what makes a floral print fall appropriate? It's all about the color and grounded coordinates. Keep your prints seasonally relevant with jewel tones (red, blue, green) and dark backgrounds.

Fall 2017 Color Theory

We've blogged in the past about the top Pantone shades of the season. It's always helpful to know what designers are focusing on, what should be invested in, and what key colors will be available in the market.

This year the palette is a unique mix of traditional fall shades, pastels, and a fiery red. Knowing that florals would be "in" for fall and the trending fall colors worked well in my favor. I knew that when I found this blouse in the spring/summer markdowns it would be something I could wear into winter.

Stylist Tip: Having a basic sense of what people will be wearing next season makes you a more powerful sale shopper.

Mixing Mediums and Textures

Megan and I were looking for fun ways to talk about this year's fall trends, so we decided to ad lib a bit and infuse some energy into the looks. The blouse was the inspiration for this shoot (fit note: it runs big, I am wearing an extra small) and from there I added a heavy weight fringed textured skirt to keep the look less serious. This skirt, also from Club Monaco, is perfect for keeping on hand for the holidays and a worthy investment. It can easily be worn with a simple silk blouse and blazer or dressed down with an oversized sweater and booties.

Get Out of Your Style Comfort Zone

To balance to bold print of the blouse, I decided against my usual sleek shoe and added a cheeky printed sandal by Steve Madden. The price point was low enough to tempt me to play on the wild side and buy into with the Gucci inspired appliqué trend. Leopard is a great choice for fall and the contrast with the floral works well. I'll admit they are a little kitschy, but sometimes it's important to get outside of your box for a bit.

Stay Stylish,

K&M