April Showers Bring May Flowers: Queer Ways to Wear Floral Prints

Spring is well upon us and nothing says May Day like a fresh new floral print. Besides, lesbians and flowers go hand in hand. Don’t believe me? Take a look around here, because it sure seems like we can’t get enough of them! So isn’t it about time we started wearing floral prints in all sorts of fun ways?

VIA LOOKBOOK.NU

SEE?! THIS GIRL LOVES FLOWERS AND CATS JUST LIKE YOU DO! (VIA LOOKBOOK.NU)

Floral patterns might strike you as the stuff of squares, grandmas and wallpaper, but floral gotten a revamp over the last few years. I’m personally in love with mini floral print fabrics. Are those polka dots or are those adorable little flowers? They kind of go both ways so they’re perfect for all you queermos out there. With that in mind, I have five ways for you to wear floral that, from butch to femme, are just as queer as you are.

Floral Bow Tie

If the idea of a big loud print all over your body makes you nervous, I recommend starting with a small floral accessory. A floral print pocket square, hanker chief, bandana or bow tie is a good place to start. Just start with a little splash of colorful flowers and worry about working into your wardrobe later. you look like a genuine gentlequeer.

If you’re still a little skeptical, you could try a mini floral print that just uses one or two hues and pair it with solids or more familiar patterns in the seasons hottest colors. I particularly like a mini floral bow tie because it adds a little something sweet to your style and makes you look like genuine dapper queer.

Floral Jeans

Don’t kid yourself, if you live in a winter-having place it’s still far too cold for shorts. Luckily, a fun floral print is just the thing to brighten up your skinny jeans and get you in the warm weather mood. It’s tempting to think you need to pair such bold pants with a plain white shirt, but I suggest going for polka dots instead.

As for accessories, it’s go big or go home with this look, so this is a great opportunity to choose a bold colored accessory in a coordinating color. Complete your look and polish it up with some coordinating canvas oxfords. When you start with floral pants there’s no toning it down with browns or blacks.

Floral Boi’s Button-up

So much floral right in the middle of your body might seem a little scary to the masculine of center among us. Go too girly and you might lose your hawt butch swagger, go too Hawaiian and you end up looking like your dad at the last family reunion. That’s the genius of the mini floral. The teeny tiny flowers are only visible up close, and in the meantime you get to swirl together all these awesome colors.

If you opt for a men’s slim-fit shirt and pair it with men’s straight leg pants, I promise you won’t look too femme. If you’re on the smaller side, you could even pick up a XXL Boys shirt and save your money in the process. As for colors, I’d go with the shirt that matches your eyes.

Floral Canvas Lace-up Sneakers

You’re already wearing your Keds with everything, so why not take the opportunity to jazz up your look a bit? I love Keds because they’re so universally gender neutral and universally adorable. Finally, a pair of shoes you and your girlfriend can share! These adorable YMC Trainers look great with skinny jeans, and as a bonus, they’ll fit girls who have bigger feet because they’re technically “men’s shoes!” If you don’t feel like splurging on floral sneakers, you can just follow our how-to guide to make your own.

Floral Blazer

I know I said it was too cold for shorts, but that isn’t so true if you pair it with a nice warm blazer! Actually, one of the best parts about spring is when it’s warm enough to wear long sleeves with shorts. It’s such a nice change from short sleeves with pants! Be sure to pair a floral blazer with crisp bold accompanying pieces.

Remember, don’t shy away from matching patterns with patterns. Wide, nautical style striped shorts are a match made in heaven with this mini floral print blazer. The same is true if you swap upside-down and pair a striped blazer with floral shorts. Beware though, a floral blazer is the clothing item that puts you most at risk for looking like your mother at a bat mitzvah in the 90’s, so be sure to pick one in a flattering modern cut. Better yet, pick one in a lightweight fabric so you can wear it into the summer.

COULD VANESSA BE ANY CUTER?!

COULD VANESSA BE ANY CUTER?!

Branching out into the big beautiful world of floral print fabrics can be a bit daunting. Sometimes it seems like there’s just nothing that matches just right. That’s okay though! Keep it light and fun and you really can’t go wrong. If you end up looking like your great-aunt’s favorite upholstered chair, well, that’s really kind of the point.

Special thanks to Mimi and Vanessa for their hawt modeling

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Lizz

Lizz is a consumer, lover and writer of all things pop culture and the Fashion/Style Editor at Autostraddle.com. She is also full time medical student at Brown University in Providence, RI. You can find her on the twitter, the tumblr or even on the instagram.

Lizz has written 261 articles for us.

31 Comments

  1. this post is a mirror to my soul.

    also sorry i look so awkward in my photo, it was 7am and that is my “trying to do what lizz asked me to do” face. ALSO sorry i didn’t contribute a photo of my brand new canvas floral print keds, i tried to take photos of my feet and they just looked really weird. but i strongly recommend everyone buy floral print keds because they make my heart happy.

    i love you lizz. this feels like a personal gift even though i know you made it for everyone. <3

  2. thanks so much…now, I know what to do with some of those florals I have from years back….still waiting for the warm weather to take off my black things …..

  4. you guyz, why no floral pocket squares?! D:
    i bought one when at liberty london and it’s the (flower) bomb.
    floral accents were big in fashion at this years pitti uomo as well.. nice post. :)

    • oopsie. i just saw that they did in fact get their fair mention right with the ties. i was too excited, i guess..

  5. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
    All I want in life are “butch” clothes in floral prints and pastel, fairy-tale colors.

      • Yes absolutely nothing menswear here.
        And of course Autostraddle doesn’t ever post anything about fashion.

        I was just pointing out that this isn’t a new trend, so your snark is completely unnecessary.

  8. oh god I keep seeing my girlfriend in those boi-ish clothes and now my overworked red vine-infused self is dying over here alone at home in her sweat pants

  9. I reallyyyyyy like the first outfit and I want something very much like it on me. J. Crew bow ties are adorbs.

    (I don’t think I’ve ever been in a J. Crew, though, I know my monetary limits).

    • And now I just found out that J. Crew has a 15% student/educator discount. WELL THAT DOES HELP.

  10. For the less well-endowed (and I’m talking money, not boobs, although both are great. Now I’m distracted) Goodwill/any thrift store tends to have tons of florals. Floral blazers with shoulder pads the size of a Midwestern state. Floral button-downs in both the guys and the girls section. Floral belts.
    Big prints. Little prints. Holy-shit-that-flower-is-bigger-than-my-head prints.
    Excuse me, I’m gonna go frolic in a meadow now.

  13. floral bow ties! floral ties! floral pocket squares!

    (i’m really into floral ok)

  14. Maybe I’m not looking at the right stores, but I cannot find little boys floral print shirts anywhere (I’m too small for most men’s shirts). Like, please dress your children in florals more.

  15. Okay I know this is useless, but my god I love floral. I own a million floral dresses. Between this and my long hair, this is why everyone ever thinks I’m straight (Melbourne girls, I swear I’m not!!).

  16. Mimi’s tumblr is pretty much the only fashion-y tumblr I actually care about. Like, I actually think about it when I’m out shopping. Anyway, I’ve been exploring the more uh…prettyboi side of things lately, like finally wearing more purple, so this is quite relevant to my interests.

  18. This post inspired me to go out and buy the cutest floral J.Crew jeans ever! They were super on sale, are super adorable, and I am so so excited about them!

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