Art and soul: why prints are the best wardrobe pick-me-up

Spring is nearly here and it’s time for our wardrobes to catch up. It’s certainly an opportunity to look beyond the two pairs of trackpants we’ve all spent far too much time in of late, with a life beyond our own front rooms beginning to beckon. 

The question of what to wear to kickstart this new beginning offers food for thought. Do you throw yourself back in with sky-high heels and cocktail dressing? Or do you approach this ‘new normal’ with baby steps? With long walks and picnics likely to be the most exciting events on the calendar for the next month at least, the latter might be wisest. And with that in mind, injecting colour and frivolity into your look through joy-inducing prints might be the perfect place to start.  

The art is in the styling. Timorous about colour? Why not approach the blank canvas that is spring with a determination to push your boundaries? Team an artist’s style smock hosting a brush stroke motif with barrel-cut jeans and a pair of Birkenstocks for a WFH look that would also work for your local beer garden. Monochrome motifs also help those who tend to avoid brights. Heavy-duty shoes such as hikers or biker boots will offset the prettiness of a printed smock dress, as will an oversized trench coat (another spring essential). 

And if brights are your thing this trend offers the chance to flex your creativity. An ankle-length dress with a bold abstract motif can be worn now with a chunky-knit sweater and trainers. Take your lead from the catwalks – or indeed from Picasso himself – by clashing ideas and colourways together to create your own masterpieces.