5 Floral fashion must haves for family life

Always a style staple, florals are having something of a renaissance this summer season and they’re the perfect pieces to invest in to inject a bit of edge and femininity into your off-duty wardrobe, whatever you’re doing with your family. Here are just some of the best floral pieces to take you through your family summer of 2014:

1 Fashion Bunker / 2 La Redoute / 3 Paul Smith / 4 Far Fetch / 5 The Orchid Boutique

1. For walking the dogs

Jeans and a tee are pretty much the uniform when it comes to walks with the dogs, along with trainers or wellies, depending on the weather. But, you can an extra element of style to even the muddiest of walks, so long as your four-legged friend doesn’t jump up at you, that is. Finders Keepers’ ring-of-roses tee is the perfect way to wear florals in a casual way, proving that you don’t have to save flower prints for more formal occasions.

2. For those rare date nights

When you manage to secure the services of a babysitter or a kind set of grandparents, it’s nice to remind your other half just why he fell for you in the first place. Florals can, no doubt, be girly and pretty but they can also exude more than a hint of sex appeal. La Redoute’s slip dress ticks three trend boxes in one piece with its lingerie-as-outerwear vibe, its nineties-esque spaghetti straps and florals atop a dark background. It’s very similar in style to the slip dress worn by Victoria Beckham to Wimbledon last summer, but brought up to date with the flower print for 2014.

Roses are said to be the most romantic flower in the world so it’s fitting, surely, to wear them to a wedding. Paul Smith’s signature is the rose. You’ll find them adorning the back of his men’s ties, in the lining of his garments and his perfume is named after these blooms. His off-white shard rose print dress is very feminine but manages not to be twee because he has made the flowers oversized and given them a graphic feel. It would look bang up to the minute worn with this season’s two-tone block heels. And, if the wedding is in a garden or on the beach, your heels won’t sink into soil or sand.

The Italians and the French certainly have their priorities right when it comes to lunch times. Enjoying an extended lunch with your nearest and dearest is one of life’s pleasures, whether you’ve packed up a picnic to take to your favourite beauty spot or you’re heading to your favourite local bistro. For comfort, you can’t beat the slouchy pyjama-style trousers that have made their way from the catwalk to the high street. Italian label Etro’s printed trousers combine an artwork feel – another of this season’s trends – with a floral and paisley design. They’re best worn with a bit of a heel, a plain jersey tee and a chunky gold necklace so you don’t look as if you’re getting ready for bed.

A maxi dress is an essential for a summer holiday. You can wear it as a beach cover up to throw on over your bikini when you go for lunch, for sightseeing to make sure your legs are covered if you’re visiting religious or culturally-sensitive places and for dinner with a pair of wedges or heels. Orchid Boutique’s Seafolly maxi picks up on the tropical trend for swirling exotic foliage this summer. And, it has a gold-necklace style detail at the neck, so you don’t need to worry about any accessories – just pair with sandals or flip-flops and you’re good to go.

They’re stunning pieces that should work no matter what you and your family have planned together this summer.

“This is a Collaborative post”