Floral With An Edge :: floral dress + black leather jacket

Floral dresses need to be given more credit. They're extremely versatile and can EASILY be styled in a rebellious, no-frills way. Just because you're wearing floral, doesn't mean you have to look overly girly and preppy - no, SIR! Welcome to the wonderful world of floral dressing 2.0: styling a floral dress to satisfy your inner badass. Intrigued yet? 

Silhouette is important. If you want to look as edgy as possible, opt for a leaner, more body-skimming frock. While fit-and-flares are fabulous, they're also majorly feminine. Try and find a floral pattern that has some contrast to it as well. For example, the black paneling on mine is unexpected and definitely adds an edge. And a high-low hemline? It doesn't get much more posh than that. 

 A black leather jacket is the key to pulling off this look. Rebels ALWAYS wear leather and it's ALWAYS black. I like to think of my leather jacket as a blazer with an attitude - don't be afraid to team it with your nicest dresses. There's truly no limit to what you can pair a leather jacket with. And if you really want to style a floral dress in a downtown way, a leather jacket is almost always required. 

 Typical black pumps are way too basic for a true badass. Choose an equally versatile pair, but one that offers a bit more spirit. These pointed-toe, ankle-strap Sam Edelmans are fierce and fresh, but chic nonetheless (ha, I just made a rhyme)! 

Stick with a streamlined, simple bag to match your jacket and heels. Let your floral dress do the talking! My crossbody has a fringey tassel attached to it too, which gives it a little more flare. And don't forget about your nails - my bright purple polish is its own kind of accessory!

I'm not into hoop earrings (totally nothing wrong with them, it's just a personal taste thing), so when I want to make a statement with my ear jewels, I turn to these guys - pretty much every time. They're loud but not obnoxious. And let's be real, pearls or dainty diamond studs don't exactly scream "edgy." Use your accessories to offset the sweet femininity of your floral dress. 

Using one of my very favorite eyeshadow palettes (you can find it here), I gave myself a deep bronzey look. A black smokey eye would have been way overkill in addition to my look-at-me lips. And a poppy pink lipstick was just too fun to pass up for this rockstar look! 

Case in point: a sleek dress with slightly edgy accents comes full circle when a leather jacket gets thrown into the mix. Add matching black accessories that posses a "wow" factor, and polish it off with an electric lip. BAM - a floral frock with a major 'tude. And in fashion, attitude is something we STRIVE for. 

Photos by Ryan Kathleen Greene

[dress: Ann Taylor (old, but I also like this one) // jacket: Guess (similar here) // heels: Sam Edelman // clutch: Ann Taylor (similar here) // earrings: Ann Taylor (I also like this pair) // eyeshadow: Innerstellar palette by Kat Von D // lipstick: CK One (similar choice here) 

Since spring is THE season for florals, I thought it was only appropriate to showcase one of my favorite, unexpected ways to sport a traditionally one-dimensional type of dress. It's super easy to give yourself a badass makeover, and from personal experience I can also say it's pretty empowering! I wore this look to the Women's Transformative Leadership Forum dinner here in NYC, and it gave me all the confidence I needed to strut into a room full of women professionals. 

When it comes to fashion, the glorious thing is, you don't HAVE to choose between edgy and girly in one day, with one look. A floral dress can effortlessly give you the best of BOTH worlds. 

 SHOP ::