Men can wear florals – here’s how

There’s no reason that all things blooming and florid can’t find a place in the average man’s wardrobe

“Beware of men bearing flowers,” was Muriel Spark’s indispensable advice. Miranda Priestly – the fictional incarnation of Anna Wintour in The Devil Wears Prada – sarcastically called florals for spring “groundbreaking”. But if they’ll permit me, your dutiful, floral-dabbled correspondent would like to make a case for their inclusion in a man’s wardrobe this season. It’s been a particularly long, dark winter, so the emergence of the optimistic shoots of spring is gladdening to the soul. And there’s no reason that all things blooming and florid can’t find a place in the average man’s wardrobe to follow suit. After all, life in greige and navy is a little one note. 
I confess that I’m an outlier here, as a man who likes pattern, print and embroidery. I’ll opt for gardenias over grey every time. My roster contains lily print trousers for summer parties, a silk jacket depicting delicate orchids and a pair of evening slippers with three-dimensional roses erupting from them. But you don’t have to take things to my Liberace-like degree. Florals are feminine, there’s no getting around that, but that doesn’t mean that they’re only the stuff of a grandmother’s nightgown. Take Elvis for example, who kick started the movement for Aloha shirts that remains today. 
The Sixties saw an explosion of all things floral, obviously, and that parlayed into the anything goes approach to dressing – the Rolling Stones enjoyed some patterned shirts – and by the Seventies Jimi Hendrix had reclaimed them as part of his bohemian image-making. But it was the 1980s in which they became more relatable again, the likes of Tom Selleck contrasting his moustached machismo with a vivid, floral-patterned shirt. 
Florals on men weren’t always so controversial; as with all things outre and frou-frou, floral embroidery was a mainstay of clothing for your average 18th century peacock, your frockcoat all the more impressive if it had some blossoms wending their way across it. Decorative touches were a sign of prowess and wealth; the same goes for the colour pink, which in the French courts was a status symbol as the more exotic dyes were so costly. 
If the darling buds of spring, and perhaps the promise of summer breaks in the months to come, have you tempted, it’s worth keeping those stalwarts of masculine style – Elvis, Selleck, even Daniel Craig’s James Bond rocked a floral shirt in Casino Royale (and you’re not going to call him a pansy to his face) – in how you negotiate it. 
Start with said shirt; it’s the obvious home for any form of floral exuberance. Just be mindful of how you wear it and steering clear of the “dad on holiday” approach; garish shirt, cargo shorts, sandals with socks and a bumster bag for the camera. The boldness of a floral pattern, whether an Aloha shirt or otherwise, needs tempering: shorts or trousers in one solid colour, or a calming beige to pour a soothing note of neutral into the look. Yellow patterns happen to look great with caramel colours, as it happens. 
Similarly, a floral patterned shirt can also work in more formal situations with a suit. Hear me out; it’s less conventional than a standard white shirt but the cover of the jacket means you only get a discreet sliver of print, and a camp collar exudes a 1950s charm. This would be a suit for a continental wedding, of course, rather than a job interview. 
Similarly, all print isn’t created equal. Paul Smith is one of the best examples of doing floral motifs in a masculine way, reduced to micro-proportions and applied to the underside of a shirt cuff for a subtle hint of bloomage rather than a rose-bed assault. See also the category known as “dark blooms” – moody in hue and a touch more brooding, a Jan van Huysum effect applied in style form. 
If you’re reluctant to go for the full garden of earthly delights, a cheerful arrangement of florals on your tie goes a long way – see King Charles’s approach of wearing a tie with a whimsical pattern to break up the serious suit. Or by all means follow my lead in all things floral, but I’ll warn you – you can only get away with 3D florals on your shoes if you’re truly man enough. 
Jacquard jacket, £175, Wax London, Cotton shirt, £145, Paul Smith
Silk tie, £130, Liberty London, Leather loafers, £260, Duke & Dexter
Officine Generale Cotton poplin shirt, £230, Mr Porter, Open weave cotton shirt, £310, Our Legacy