We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.
We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.
Tropical prints are a wardrobe fast track to making any outfit look holiday-ready. You might not be in the tropics, but you can at least dress like you are. There is a way of doing these bold prints without feeling like a confused tourist. In fact, this season’s crop come both muted and saturated, and in grown-up silhouettes. Here, we round up the best.
Tropical dresses create INSTANT SUMMER ENERGY. They work as sunny wedding-guest outfits and also as BREEZY HOLIDAY LOOKS with day-to-night mileage. Fashion’s most upbeat resortwear brands are a good place to start, think Alemais, Johanna Ortiz and Farm Rio. From PALM PRINTS to hibiscus florals and BOLD ABSTRACT BOTANICALS, lean into their GOOD-TIME MAXIMALISM. The trick is to ensure everything else is simple, that accessories are pared-back, and to look for elegant silhouettes – relaxed, floor-sweeping styles or classic button-down dresses.Â
Keep the look balanced. A tropical top looks great with lightweight denim or wide-leg linen in neutral tones, and bold patterned trousers and skirts are chic with understated racer-back tops and 90s vests. The most risk-averse entry route? A sarong, which can be worn either as a skirt, or as a scarf wrapped around a beach bag.Â
We may earn a commission if you buy something from any affiliate links on our site.
Lead image: Sir x Moda Operandi
Ella Alexander is Citizen Femme’s fashion features editor. She started her career at the Evening Standard, and has since held senior editorial roles at Vogue, The Independent and Harper’s Bazaar, where she remains a contributing editor. She also writes for The Telegraph, Sunday Times Style, Service95 and CNN. She is an author, having co-written Dame Zandra Rhodes’ memoir, Iconic: My Life In Fashion In 50 Objects, published by Transworld in July 2024. Her favourite travel destination is Catania, Sicily’s second city.
