We’ve shared in previous posts tips to help point you toward the kinds of print that will work best for you. If you’ve read those posts, you already have a good idea what color & contrast types as well as the scale which will look best for your body type, as well as on different parts of your body. We also started to take a look at how personality will affect your print preference — but you probably already knew that!
As complicated as choosing the right print may be, floral prints pose an especially significant challenge. Some of us tend to go overboard with florals, while others of us tend to avoid them; whatever your body size or shape, there’s definitely a floral option out there for you (as well as some you’ll want to avoid). So let’s venture together into the world of florals!
Scale & Contrast of a Floral Print
One issue that affects apparent contrast is scale. Even if a smaller print actually does create high contrast, it won’t appear nearly as high contrast as a larger scale print. Imagine a black dress with myriad tiny white flowers small enough to look like polka dots from across the room and then an identical black dress with large white flowers the sizes of dinner plates? The former dress will essentially appear to have a lower value contrast. The latter will have a much bolder look — which will slow the eye and draw attention. Wearing such large, bold, high-contrast florals may or may not suit your body type or personality.
While scale affects apparent contrast, the contrast of a print also affects its apparent scale. A high-contrast print will make the scale appear more obvious and, as a result, larger. If you have large-scale features, you could pull it off easily. But if you don’t, you can still opt for a large-scale floral print; just make sure it’s a low-contrast print.
Sparse vs. Dense Floral Prints
In addition to scale and contrast, the density of a print will also affect how the eye responds to it and, as a result, how flattering it is on your body. “Density” refers to how closely the elements of a print are to one another. A sparse print will have more background or “negative space” between elements, providing more focal points on which the eye will tend to rest. Like high-contrast, large-scale prints, a sparse print will cause the eyes to slow down as they travel over the print. Such a pattern is not slimming to the body or minimizing to a given part of the body. The denser the print, the more it will keep the eye moving, providing a slimming effect. Basically, the brain gets tired of trying to find a focal point, forcing the eye to keep moving instead of resting on a specific area.
When it comes to floral prints, there are even more descriptions that can differentiate one pattern from another. Check out our next post to learn more.
Penny Pincher Boutique
We’re Westchester’s luxury consignment shop offering women’s designer clothing, jewelry, shoes, handbags and much more. Visit our shop at 184 Harris Road in Bedford Hills, New York or visit us online at www.pennypincherboutique.com. You can also find a selection of our items on sale on eBay. We ship throughout the United States.
Images are from the Penny Pincher Boutique Instagram Page and may represent products already sold.
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