Brighten up your look with our winter floral dress guide

Give winter a lift with a pretty floral dress, a reminder of the blossoms and blooms that epitomise happy summer days

Nobody loves getting dressed in winter. When it’s cold and grey outside, cheer up your wardrobe with remnants of spring and summer.

Pretty floral dresses are one way to change your mood and brighten the atmosphere. They are reminiscent of garden parties on sunny days. Choose floral fabrics that feature bouquets or single flowers, dainty buds or bold blooms on subtle pastel backgrounds.  

We’ve come up with some suggestions for new floral dresses to help you brighten up your winter wardrobe. Pair your new dresses with neutrals or patterns to create a statement outfit, or wear a brightly coloured ditsy floral frock with tights plus a pair of boots for a pop of colour.

To keep warm, layer floral dresses with a warm coat or jacket in a single shade, or in a contrasting print. Be brave and slip a bright pink cover-up over a long-sleeved pastel floral dress maxi length. Or choose a muted palette defined with monochrome black and white. 

Different styles for a floral dress

Dress up your winter wardrobe with a selection of dress styles to suit your mood, personality and body type. Floral fabric designs offer feminine, romantic and incredibly versatile effects. Style them soft or go edgy with a mix of blooms and colours – it’s all up to you!

The mini floral dress:

When you wear mini dresses in winter, wear thick tights to warm up your legs. Choose a neutral shade to let the dresses shine, or colourful tights that blend with the beauty of the blooms. Add over-the-knee boots or ankle boots, depending on your taste.

The maxi floral dress:

On those days when you’re warm and cozy inside, your flower dress will take centre stage. And if you’re going outdoors, you can cover up with a long coat, jacket or cuddly cardigan. 

Floral maxi dresses allow you to add on the layers – leggings, tights, thermal undies are all hidden underneath. Or add a pair of skinny jeans underneath for a different look entirely. Ideal for all shapes, from petite upwards.

The midi floral dress:

Classic and timeless midi floral print dresses look great no matter how short or tall you are. Make sure they reach either above the knee or below mid-calf. Add boots (flat or with a heel), a warm cover-up in wool, fleece or faux fur. Choose a floral midi tea dress with a long sleeve and a neckline that are flattering, and you’re good to go!

The A-line floral dress: 

This style for dresses is flattering for women with pear shaped bodies. Dress your outfit up or down, depending on where you’re going. Slip on some flats, heels or boots plus a warm coat or slim-line jacket.

The wrap floral dress:

 Classic wrap dresses are effortless and ideal if you’re slim and athletic, as they creates an hourglass effect. Select winter shades or jewel colours for your floral fabric for this type of dress style.

The floral wedding outfit: 

Floral dresses are a great choice of what to wear to a wedding. Find a simple, pretty floral dress for weddings. Depending on the dress code, this could be either a floral dress mini or a midi dress.

Other floral dress styles to try: 

A floral shirt dress can look very stylish, as can a skater dress in a floral print (a great look for teens). You could even layer a summer dress under a warm coat if you’ll be warm enough. A great maternity option is a floral shift dress.

Mixing prints and patterns on a floral dress

Combining different prints and patterns with florals for dresses is a stylish new way of dressing. There are rules to mixing and matching, but first let’s define the difference between a pattern and a print…

Understanding patterns and prints

Don't forget – all prints are patterns, but not all patterns are prints!

·    A pattern is any design that is repeated. Floral is a pattern, as are geometrics. A design can be woven into the fabric or printed on top (which is the way we do it at maake). Fabrics with designs on them are called patterns.

·    A print is applied to the fabric with dye using digital printing (that’s the sustainable printing method we use), or screen printing. Look at the reverse of the fabric. If there is no pattern on the reverse, it’s likely the fabric has been printed on. 

How to combine patterns and prints

Dresses with a floral print can easily be combined with a solid colour. Get creative and combine floral prints with other prints for an eye-catching effect. Here are some simple rules to follow:

1.   Match colours first. Start by picking a monochrome look – black and white patterns and prints. Then, choose different monochrome patterns. 

Once you’ve got the hang of it, you can try mixing patterns of a single colour together. Try mixing patterns that have more than one colour. Remember: if two colours look good together, patterns in those two colours are likely to look great.

2.   It's a good idea to stick to similar colours. When you start mixing more than one colour, stick to similar shades, like soft baby pastels, or brights. You can also try mixing different shades of one colour.

3.   Break up the effect by mixing solid colours. Add in some solid colours if you find the prints boggle the eye. The easiest way to do this is by adding a cover-up (coat, jacket, cardigan) in a solid colour.

4.   Combine colours carefully in winter. Because this season isn’t considered a colourful time of year, the cold weather colour palette for fashion and décor consists of neutral hues. Feel free to add some brightness with gorgeous jewel colours to celebrate the Festive Season.

5.   For a floral dress for the cold months, use the winter colour palette to mix patterns and prints. We suggest:

-     Black

-     Brown shades

-     Cream

-     Deep ruby red

-     Dark purple

-     Emerald green

-     Grey – medium to dark shade

-     Sapphire blue

-     White

Patterns that work well for a floral dress

·    Other florals: First, start by combining the same florals in different sizes (some tiny, some larger). Then try mixing different floral patterns in the same shades. 

·    Spots: Polka dots and prints can look really good together. A few rules of thumb: stick to the same colour palette or choose colours that go well together. And try to make the size of the patterns similar.

·    Stripes: Stripes work beautifully with florals. They go well with most patterns. Try mixing patterns of different sizes, for instance large blooms and small stripes, or vice-versa. Or go bold with big stripes and a floral print with delicate details.

·    Actually, anything goes: Once you’ve mastered the art of mixing prints, you can step out of your comfort zone. Start experimenting with other combinations, like mixing florals and plaid. Let your imagination run riot. 

Fabric choices for a new floral winter dress

Make wise fabric choices when you shop. Choose warm fabrics that will keep you cosy but not too hot and sweaty when you’re indoors. Winter fabrics to consider include recycled polyester, polyester, satin, silk and velvet:

maake’s fabric choices:

·      Drill: 100% cotton fabric, ideal for casual and tailored garments.

·      Duchess Satin: A 100% polyester medium-weight dress fabric.

·   Eco Velvet: More sustainable 100% recycled polyester (rPET) is ideal for fashion garments.

·      Faux Silky Satin: It's 100% polyester and the perfect alternative to natural silk.

·      Limani Linen: Consists of 90% cotton, 10% linen. Medium-weight cotton/linen blend with a slub texture.

·      Organic Jersey Interlock: This 100% GOTS cotton fabric with 2-way stretch. Ideal for clothing.

·      Velvet: An ultra-soft 100% polyester matte fabric ideal for fashion wear.
.      Massey Crepe: Popular fashion crepe for all seasons – beautiful drape and soft handle.

Inspiration for a winter floral dress

We’ve given you a taste of how to combine patterns with florals. Now take a look at our extensive library of designs online for some more inspiration on florals, patterns and prints to mix with them…

Or be creative and design your own pattern…