You may think that the idea of how to wear fruit prints is better left to young girls. But I call my usual HOGWASH on that thinking. There is no reason that grown women, as well as men, can’t wear any kind of print.
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Quote of the day: “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” T.S. Eliot
You may think that as older women, we should only wear things “appropriate” for our stage of life. I mean, that’s the message that has been drilled into us for years.
Yet the idea of trying new styles can be very freeing to our attitudes.
How to wear fruit prints
1-Francisca with oranges
2-Lesley with lemons
3-Charlotte with watermelon
4-Jodie with cherries
5-Rob with bananas
Is it a risk? Not really, but you have to have an open mind. If you continue to think something isn’t your style, my bet is that’s because you’ve never tried to wear it. And thus you aren’t used to the look on you.
This is why I’m a huge proponent of shopping with friends who might push you a little to try new things. Otherwise, we tend to get into habits and always choose the same things for ourselves.
What does this have to do with how to wear fruit prints? Maybe because the messages I talk of are ones for my benefit too.
If you’ve been here for a while, then you know that I used to think fashion and style was a serious endeavor. There were right and wrongs, and no room for fun.
But I’ve gotten wiser these days and I realize that personal style is just that. PERSONAL. Which means you should have it reflect your personality.
And it’s important to stop judging others based on what you like and think is right! We are all different individuals and thus should dress differently.
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Francisca With Oranges
First, let me introduce Francisca who was out visiting Lesley and joined us for the day. It is because of her that I decided to put together the idea of how to wear fruit prints. She messaged me a photo of the dress and shoes and asked if it would be good for our outing before I had thought of a theme.
Which got me thinking that we could all join in wearing different fruits.
Francisca used to live in Denver which is how she knew Lesley. She has since moved to St. Louis with her husband and two dogs, and I was excited to be able to meet up with her when we were out in St. Louis. Since she was going to be in Arizona during one of our blog shoots, I twisted her arm to join us.
She gave me a little peek into her style.
“I was a tomboy in my teens, always trying to seem so tough. Now that I am older, I am tougher inside so I can show my brighter side on the outside. And now I love girly, colorful dresses.”
Oh, and I forgot to tell you that Francisca is from Chile, which means she has the most adorable accent when she talks!!
I love how Francisca analyzed that “toughness” aspect. I think we can all relate to that about how we used to dress for a certain reason.
Fast Fashion with Shein
After I posted about being more sustainable in our shopping habits, Francisca asked if maybe she should wear something else since the dress was from Shein, which is considered a fast fashion site.
In all reality, I can see how young people enjoy Shein because it’s very affordable. Besides, I have a kimono that I bought from the site years ago (as seen here).
I think the most important aspect of sustainable fashion is to make sure you wear what you have. It’s not fast fashion if you keep it in your closet and wear it for years.
And once you think it’s not working for you, use the material for something else. For instance, you could cut this dress in half and make a skirt and top from it.
The Extras
One thing that Francisca said to me is that she had this black purse for a long time and never wore it because it was too boring. She claims I inspired her to draw ON the purse. Maybe that’s so, but she gets all the credit because it turned out amazing.
And she likes art, so it only makes sense to put the two together.
Don’t you love her necklace too? There are so many fruits as jewelry too. It’s another fabulous way to incorporate the idea of how to wear fruit prints into your looks.
Lesley With Lemons
Lesley is wearing the same Old Navy pants as from this post. She liked them so much that she bought them in olive green. Now the insider scoop is that Lesley detests the color green. So the fact that she bought these pants is a testament to her thinking outside of her box as well as how much these pants are super fabulous.
As for the lemon print top. If you are worried about wearing a style new to you, then the best bet is to thrift it. Then you haven’t spent a lot of money on something you aren’t sure about. Lesley found this top when we were at Horizon thrift and has worn it with pink too.
Adding a Fall Vibe to the Lemon Print
You may think that a lemon print is a summer item, yet it’s easy to transition it to the fall season with other colors. Lesley added both olive green and orange which are both found in autumn.
I’m super impressed that she added orange to the outfit since the top doesn’t have orange in it. But because there is orange in the jacket, her shoes, and purse, it looks intentional.
And notice that she wore a pin on the lapel of her blazer too!! If you have those fabulous accessories, you might as well wear them!
How to Wear Fruit Prints With Charlotte
My mom wore her Old Navy wide-leg pants too. What she did is created a column of color with the tops and pants being very similar in color. And then added a white blouse as her “jacket” or “topper”.
The best part is how the watermelon purse is the star of the show since it really stands out against the other colors.
Related post Styling your white button down shirt as a jacket
Whimsical Purses
Purses don’t have to be basic only. Sure, it’s good to have one or two that are neutral and go with everything. But it’s also advantageous to have one that adds whimsy to your look. Finding purses that are colorful or have fun shapes is the perfect way to do this.
My mom found this watermelon purse at one of the local boutiques in Denver years ago. While she usually only pulls it out in the summer, I think there is no reason why it can’t be carried any time of year.
The red color really pops against the rust colors of the outfit.
Insider tip: While most stylists will recommend incorporating 3 items of color to make it look intentional (like Lesley did with the orange in her outfit above), adding just one piece of a totally different color is fabulous too. It really sets off the item and creates a focal point.
Jodie With Cherries
This cherry dress was an option from my online style box called Fashom 2 years ago. I was actually asking for something with hearts on it, but there wasn’t anything at the time, so my stylist suggested this cherry dress.
Insider tip: Using my link to try out Fashom will give you $20. I’ve written about the secrets to making these ventures more successful if you are interested.
What I really like about the dress, is it almost looks like a red/navy dress until you get closer. Then you realize there are cherries on it.
Notice the difference with the collar?? The photo on the right is how the dress is meant to be worn. Yet why not tuck it under??
This creates a more open v-neck which can seem better depending on the situation.
Insider thought: Remember, you are the boss of your clothes. Clothing is just material and can be changed in oh, so many ways.
How to Accessorize Fruit Prints
I always love bootie with dresses and this pair of mule boots ended up being perfect. Because they are light-colored, they blend into my skin and you don’t notice them much. And I like that the heel is open during our warmer days.
The other aspect of my accessories is I added yellow to the navy and red dress with a yellow belt and yellow necklace. (The necklace stands out since I tucked the collar under. Otherwise, you don’t see it.)
Thanks to Francisca for letting me borrow her cherry earrings. Swapping with friends is one of the best and budget-oriented ways to have a bigger closet.
Related post: Borrowing clothes from friends of different sizes
Men’s Style & How To Wear Fruit Prints
Even men can join in with the challenge of how to wear fruit prints. We saw this banana shirt years ago and had to buy it for Rob. One of Rob’s common sayings is he is “bananas for bananas”. (Maybe because he’s a monkey at heart, haha).
Rob’s style has evolved so much over the years we’ve been together. In fact, I have featured his outfits on the blog in the past (you can find the articles under Men’s Fashion on the Categories page.
One thing he loves to do is wear a basic t-shirt and then layer a button-up over it.
So, you can see how women from their 30s to their 80s are showcasing every variety of fruit prints. And hopefully, we have shown ways of how to wear fruit prints even as the summer transitions to the fall season.
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