Groovy Floral Patterns for Fall 2013 / Winter 2014

by Tina Boomerina (Christina Gregoire)

What are "fall florals"? Most of the time, when I think of clothing with flowers, I visualize something that’s meant to be worn in the spring or the summer, but that’s just not true anymore. These days, there are dresses, tunics, T-shirts, scarves, jackets, and even jeans that are made with floral fabrics that look fabulous during the darker days of fall and winter… so you can wear flowered prints all year long if you do it right.

Wait a minute… what did I just say?

There IS no such thing as a RIGHT way to wear fashion anymore. We ditched all of those boring fashion “rules” back in the 1960s, right?

Do We Still Have Clothing You Can Only Wear During One Season?

Hey, if you’re old enough, you may remember that some wacko control freak decided it was improper to wear white shoes after Labor Day. And, women followed that ridiculous rule for years… but one day when I was in junior high, I decided to make my own fashion statement to piss off the FashionNazis.

I remember the year I stopped following the Labor Day rule. It was 1967 and I had just bought a trendy pair of “candy apple” green patent leather shoes at the same time I bought an English Mod mini dress with blue and green polka dots… and a tailored blue bow that went across the bodice. Very Mary Quant. Tres chic. Anyway, I decided to throw away all of my white shoes… and for months I wore my shiny green shoes with everything… purple velvet dresses, blue paisley miniskirts, everything. Yes, I was on a mission to wave my freak flag high. (Well, I also wore fringed moccasins, but those weren’t allowed in school.)

Fall Floral Prints for 2013/2014

Okay, let’s come back to the reality of fall fashions for Baby Boomer women of today.

And, Even though I am still very creative about when and where and how I wear my eclectic assortment of clothing and accessories, I do believe that some floral prints work better in fall (and winter) and other floral prints look better in spring (and summer). Sure, you can wear almost any item of clothing year round, but it takes a lot of effort and a certain panache to incorporate an itsy-bitsy teeny-weenie yellow polka dot bikini into a fashion-forward après ski ensemble. Yes?

Fall Prints Are Usually Muted and/or Dark

To me, the easiest fall floral prints and patterns are either darker or more muted than spring or summer prints. And, because fashion fabrics sort of imitate the seasons, the traditional clothing colors of autumn include moss greens, glowing golds, pumpkin oranges, warm browns, unique pinks, warm beiges, teal-feel blues, grayish plums, rich reds and burgundies, softened or charcoaled grays, and other hues like that. But, I don’t want to limit you color-wise… because fashion is meant to be creative and fun. Lots of “autumn” colors can be worn year round, and many fiery, vibrant hues can produce a fabulous, brilliant autumn warmth that makes your skin glow when everyone is sallow from a lack of vitamin D.

See the photo at the top of the page for a small collection (fall/winter 2013-14) of floral prints and color combos that would be easy to incorporate into your fall (and winter) wardrobe.

1. Bon Marche blue floral top – This comes in plus sizes.

2. Heatons coral and peach scarf – Throw this over any print for a boho look.

3. River Island fall kimono – Mums are the quintessential autumn flower.

4. Heatons tapestry skirt – This is a perfect example of a great fall color combination.

5. Heatons floral dress – The deep purples and rich golds make a perfect fall palette.

6. Fennwrightmanson blue dress – The colors are bright but the effect is subdued and muted.

7. Debenhams floral dress – Various shades of gray are always perfect for fall.

8. Apricot pansy dress – The dark background keeps this from being too summery.

9. Monsoon Asian print dress – The blues, golds, and pinks come together to create a nicely muted whole.

10. Oliver Bonas floral dress – Check out how the geometric background keeps the print from becoming too cutesy (precious).