Flower power

Peace, love and happiness reigned through crowns of daisies, bare feet and flowing skirts during the '60s and early '70s. "Flower children" dropped acid, grooved to Hendrix and marched on Washington, their namesake symbols of life, freedom and our civil liberties.

Back in a big way, floral prints were one of the biggest trends to appear at the spring/summer fashion shows. Decidedly, times have changed, and the free-loving lifestyle of the hippie counterculture has passed. But, the state of the world today isn't vastly different, and though it may seem trivial, fashion often reflects what is going on politically and socially in the world.

The re-emergence of flowers spans the fashion spectrum from refined and girlie to luxe and bohemian. Diane Von Furstenburg flirted with flowers on ruffled skirts, dresses and drapey silk tops. Banana Republic featured a floral print satin duster, a bouquet of flower print dresses and skirts, as well as floral jewelry. Anna Sui's collection was in full bloom with brightly colored baby doll dresses and miniskirts. Swimsuit designers like Zimmerman and J.Crew used big tropical flowers on this season's swimwear. Flower accessories like brooches and wrist corsages were big on the runways — Marc Jacobs pinned crocheted flowers to tops, while Celine chose bright pink azaleas to adorn her models.

Do your part: Promote a little peace, love and happiness in the world and go get yourself some floral prints. Hell, start listening to some Hendrix and Janis Joplin, too. Organize a protest for a worthy cause. Just leave the acid in the '60s, where it belongs.

If you have a tip or have noticed a trend you think our resident fashionista should know about, e-mail your comments to product@creativeloafing.com.