If you’re a guy looking for ideas on how to style floral prints, you’re in the right place. This guide will give you the options you need. If you’re a fan of more traditional or classic styles, then most patterns, particularly floral ones, aren’t usually a first pick. They’re usually considered a bold choice. However, we’ve started to see patterns, especially floral patterns, appear in a lot of different styles, from suiting to streetwear. It seems like more bold floral print patterns are being introduced and welcomed into menswear styles across the board. Table of Contents Bold also has the connotation of being hard to style in general. It actually just comes down to using the same tools for styling anything else with color and contrast. In this guide, we’re going to make floral print styling feel easy. Subtle vs. Loud Floral Print Styling I’ll make sure to give you options for styling your floral print in subtle and loud ways. You can either use it as a small detail or the main focus of your outfit. You’ll also get options for casual and smart casual styling. Because of a floral print’s bold nature, it usually doesn’t get too formal, but you can still dress it up a bit. Fabrics You’ll also see that most of the floral print clothing I’ll share here are thinner fabrics like linen, cotton, or blends. This is because floral patterns are usually worn during warmer seasons. Floral Prints and Masculinity One last note before we jump into the outfit options: like I mentioned before, more and more men are venturing into bold styles and floral prints. It’s not so crazy to see flowery menswear out in the wild anymore. Source: @threadability Inevitably, there is still some criticism on floral clothes because we’ve associated flowers with femininity for so long. The truth is floral prints, like most prints and patterns, are for anyone. My best advice is, even if you’re just curious about them, give them a try. The colors and the flowers themselves don’t define your masculinity, but they could boost your confidence. Casual Floral Print Outfit Ideas Most of the casual styles focus on what to pair with your floral print clothing. That will also make the floral print piece more of the focus of the outfit. These outfits will also be more warm weather oriented, but we’ll introduce some simple layering as well. #1 Floral Tee and Shorts We’ll start simple. Take your floral tee, henley or polo and pair it with your favorite shorts. Source: Tommy Hilfiger Now, the style option we’re showing here creates contrast between the bold florals in the shirt and the shorts. If you’re not sure what to pair with your floral pattern, make your shorts or adjacent pieces neutral and solid. Think about earth tones or something in the khaki family. As for footwear, choose a low top shoe style like a sneaker, boat shoe or loafer with a no-show sock to keep everything looking tidy. #2 Button Down and Shorts The idea here is the same as above, but we’re moving into casual button downs. Note that casual button downs will normally have less structure in the collar and in the body of the shirt. They’re also generally a little looser. Source: Steven Bautista The nice thing about floral prints is that they come in short-sleeve options like the one Steven is wearing here. They make for great casual wear and layering. Without the sleeves, you also get more of a break in the pattern so it’s not so overwhelming. They’re a great way to start exploring floral prints. #3 Light Jacket or Layering Piece I love layering floral shirts under field jackets, but you can do this with any lighter outerwear layers. Source: @threadability The nice thing about this outfit is that you can cover up the floral print. It becomes more of a subtle detail like we talked about before. Again, keep the outer layer simple and solid. The field jacket is usually a nice green or blue that looks great against floral prints. #4 With Denim You can pair any of the options above with denim, a solid neutral piece that works with most floral patterns. Source: @threadability You can see here that I chose light wash denim. You can go for lighter denim in the spring and summer and transition to darker denim in the fall/winter. You can also use darker denim for more smart casual looks. #5 Print Mixing If you’re feeling more adventurous, you can mix your floral prints with other prints or patterns, or even more floral. Source: @threadability This can get a little messy, but there are two things to think about when mixing the patterns: color and scale. Use similar colors to help coordinate the mixed prints. Make sure the prints are also different scales (sizes) to help define each one. Specifically, if you have a large floral print on top, think about a simpler and smaller scale print on the bottom. #6 Matching Set Matching sets have also become more popular in men’s style recently. They come in a variety of colors and patterns including floral prints. Source: @threadability The great thing about these is that they make your decision easy. You don’t have to think about what to match, and you still get a cool, modern outfit. Keep the base layer or tee simple and make sure the pieces fit you correctly so it all looks intentional. You can also split the pieces up to recreate any of the styles above. It’s like a summer suit. #7 Floral Print Shorts Floral print doesn’t need to be limited to tops. Floral print on your shorts or pants also works well. Source: Banana Republic Factory Depending on the length of your shorts, the flora print becomes a smaller detail. Keep your tee or shirt more solid or neutral and you’ve basically reversed some of the first outfit ideas we looked at. #8 Matching Colors We’ve talked a lot about building contrast and using neutral tones to match with your floral print pieces, but another option is to pick colors from your floral prints for your accompanying pieces. Here, Brock used the green from the floral print in his shirt to match his shorts. He still kept the non-floral items simple, but the color connects the outfit. The green also happens to be a good neutral color, so the flowers really pop. Smart Casual Floral Print Outfit Ideas You can definitely dress a floral print up a bit and even wear it to the office. These outfits will show you how to layer floral with other pieces to make it more of a unique detail. We’ll take some smart casual outfits that you’re already used to and spice them up with some floral print. #1 Polo and Chinos You can choose a polo with a floral print and style it in the same way you would t-shirt or button up. Source: @threadability The polo’s collar detail makes this a smarter look. You can also = tuck in the polo and switch to tailored trousers for a smarter look. The same color matching rules apply that we talked about before: use neutral tones for your chinos or trousers or pick a color out of the print. I could have also chosen a shade of red or blue here for the pants. #2 Summer Suiting Summer suiting is always brighter, bolder, and more on the smarter side than the formal side. It’s a perfect opportunity to sub in a floral dress shirt. Source: @threadability My floral print here is a good pop of color against the grey seersucker. It’s a good summer wedding look. #3 Sweater Layering A crew neck or v-neck sweater layered over a collared shirt is a classic smart casual look that’s perfect for the office. We’ve seen it done primarily with solid color dress shirts, but you can switch in a floral print shirt for added detail. Source: @threadability Here the blue floral detail just peaks out over the crewneck sweater. It’s still office appropriate but gives you some unique flair. #4 Blazer and Denim This is another simple smart outfit that you can add some floral print to for added interset. You have the option for a tee or dress shirt. Source: Pinterest The great thing about this outfit is that it’s something we’re all used to. Most of us have worn some variation of a blazer and denim together. So if you’re just getting into floral prints, you don’t have to go too far out of your comfort zone with this look. #5 Floral Accessories Another great way to incorporate floral prints into your outfit now are with accessories. Source: @threadability Choosing a floral tie here gives a little bit of bold detail without overpowering the whole outfit. You can choose to do this with your ties and pocket squares. This can also be a way for you to incorporate floral prints into your more formal outfits and give them some personality. Floral Print Intensity You’ll notice throughout the outfits that there are some busy floral prints and some simple ones. All the styling ideas apply regardless of how intense your floral print is. The intensity is all up to your preference. Floral Print Styling The main thing to remember here is that a floral print is just a design choice. The shirt you choose is still a shirt, the shorts are still shorts. That means that you can take a lot of your go-to outfits and substitute a floral print for the usual top or bottom you choose. It’s all about experimenting with these bolder options and feeling out what you’re comfortable in. How Would You Style Floral Prints? I hope this guide gave you some new ideas for styling floral prints. It may take some practice to adjust to a louder print, but trying it out a few times is the key. If you have any questions or comments, leave them down below!