May 27, 2026
If you’re going to indulge in florals, go big or go home! (I don’t believe this, but the phrase “go big or go home” is an ongoing joke chez moi…)
I was very inclined to include the sleeveless top that matches these pieces, until I found that it’s a DIFFERENT FABRIC. While I’ve chosen 100% linen garments, the sleeveless top is a linen blend. Would that wear the same way? Would it take on the same softness? Would it last as long?
Oh these retailers… but it’s always worth looking for ALL of the matching items that might be available.
If you already have a stash of white clothes for hot weather, incorporating these garments into your wardrobe will be simple:
Shirt – Lands’ End; earrings – Nadri; tank top – Lands’ End; skort – Lands’ End; bracelet – FREQNC atelier; tote bag – Lands’ End; boating sandals – Jack Rogers
And if you like green, you’re in luck – I think one could use a lot of shades of green with this print:
Earrings – Machete; Shirt – Lands’ End; valley green halter top – Lands’ End; handbag – Talbots; sandals – Arezzo; pants – Lands’ End
Sometimes you need something over your shoulders and the back of your neck…
Shirt – Lands’ End; earrings – Unaloe; bracelet – Unaloe; handbag – The Sak; dress – Eileen Fisher; sandals – Nine West
I love this shade of pink… and the raffia accessories make this feel VERY summery, even on a cool evening!
sweatshirt – Lands’ End; raffia headband – Talbots; earrings – Anthropologie; skort – Lands’ End; tote bag – Haven Well Within; gold espadrilles – Talbots
If your red dress looks good with this print, then a tee shirt in the same color is only logical!
Grenadine tee shirt – Eileen Fisher; earrings – Banana Republic Factory; bracelet – Kendra Scott; bag – Madewell; pants – Lands’ End; flats – Rothys
For those who have peridot or emerald as their birthstone, this print is a nice background for green jewelry:
Shirt – Lands’ End; peridot earrings – Macys; tee shirt – Coldwater Creek; bracelet – Macy’s; skort – Lands’ End; sandals – Bearpaw
I’d like to find just ONE MORE two-piece dress for us to share; right now I’m mostly finding cropped tops on everything. It’s maddening – manufacturers have figured out the smallest possible amount of fabric they need to use to cover our torsos…
Nevertheless, I persist!
love,
Janice
p.s. Okay, it’s not exactly ten years ago, but I wasn’t going to pass up a chance to share a wardrobe that has LOTS of purple. I saw my future in this one!
Love this wardrobe? Save it to Pinterest!
Enjoyed this very much as I have a similar set of trousers and shirt in White/Magenta Plumeria which I packed for Panama City and now have with me in London during the heatwave. Wondering if I can possibly pack them for my Alaskan cruise in three weeks time. Possibly the shirt. I’m going to look for a dress to wear with the shirt now I’ve seen the post.
My mom, who is the chicest person I have ever known, had a multi-piece wardrobe in a BOLD floral, not too dissimilar to this one, in the late ’60’s and early 70’s. Before she entered the hotel business with my dad, she was a successful Art Director. Her work took her all over the world. She’d wear multi-piece outfits, like this, on her travels, because everything went together. The 60’s and 70’s were times of HUGE, bold and, often, regrettable prints. However, Mom’s were never tacky, as so many were. They were more like this…intriguing, passionate and fun.
These pieces are a huge reminder to me of those years…but with an updated twist. I love it!
I have a good friend who could carry off this look effortlessly. I’m so tired of the only seeing neutrals, Coastal grandma, no prints look even though that’s the way I dress 90% of the time. I firmly believe that all prints are not created equal and so much depends on the pattern, color, and body shape of the wearer. Whenever I wear my brightly colored prints (I love toile) I almost always get a compliment and my 11 year old granddaughter loves when I wear them.
Put all this in a suitcase and point me on my way! I would wear all of this quite happily and pretend that I’m living in a tropical paradise instead of Ontario. Great job Janice!
I love Ontario! My son played for the Barry Colts for a year!
Thank you again for this. It is maddening that manufacturers don’t consider more options for the matching print top/bottom, done correctly it could be classic. If done in a more whimsical cut or style, matching top and bottom could still be the workhorse of a season or two. My preference would be a smaller more abstract floral/dot or multi color stripe. This is a no-brainer option for all the heroines who have destination weddings with multiple activities, or any other life adventure that requires this kind of versatility.
When I first saw the pieces, they were all too bold for my taste but I actually love every single outfit example you showed us! Interesting where one’s limits are when it comes to patterns. One patterned item is good for me and three are way too much! I will need to examine how I feel about two patterned pieces in one outfit 🤔
Looking forward to being surprised by your fashion insights yet again 🌸
I really need to learn to take a second look before I post a reply because you have several with two of the patterned pieces 🙈 That is too much for me in such a bold pattern 🤔 I still like them – just not on me!
Thoroughly enjoyed this post, and look 2 is absolutely inspired!!
Florals all the way for me too, though I have to be careful of scale in the print. I’d love a blouse and skirt combination. I had several in the 1980’s which I mixed and matched. I’m not into floral trousers, even if they are loose fitting.
I’ve been wearing a 1980’s floral print skirt this week with large pink and lilac roses on it. I’ve worn it with a lilac crinkle blouse and a white embellished t-shirt.
I’m going to wear more skirts and blouses this summer. I’ve also decided to create outfits that I like the look of and get compliments. It seemed to work last year. It makes getting dressed easier if I can just reach for a complete outfit with maybe one or two variants to dress it up or down.