Rosettes Are The Easy Way To Embrace Warm-Weather Florals Without Overloading Your Look
With warmer weather upon us, it's finally time to shed some layers in favor of lighter, simpler (and cooler) fare. Enter, rosettes: the long-loved add-on that's about to give your summer wardrobe an easy enough elevation.
At the risk of parroting Miranda Priestly's oft-quoted line on florals in spring once again, it's worth noting that rosettes really are far from groundbreaking. Per Fashion History Timeline, these botanical adornments have been used in fashion since way back in the 1600s. At the time, they were used as a status symbol, and mostly by men, in footwear. However, as fashion historian, Summer Anne Lee told Refinery29, over time, the style became more of a mainstay in womenswear — and though they continue to be a favorite amongst those in more elite circles, in the early 2000s, they finally went more mainstream. As noted by Lee, the use of rosettes in "Sex and the City" made the accessory a bona fide early aughts icon. That particular detail makes sense when it comes to the 2023 return of the rosette. After all, as Lee told the outlet, we're in the throes of a, "Wave of nostalgia for the early 2000s."
Long history aside, this year, rosettes are back with a bang. And, as a bonus, they're relatively easy for anyone to incorporate into an otherwise simple lewk.
Tie one around your neck
One of the easiest ways to incorporate a rosette into your daily wardrobe is by wearing one around your neck. Think of it as a very 2023 take on the chokers of the late 2010s, or a fun reinvention of the classic neckerchief scarf.
Whether you're tying a silk scarf from scratch a la The Polished Swan, pinning a homemade rosette to a skinny scarf, or even buying a ready-made one, this option works just as well for adding a dose of fun elegance to a simple white button-down shirt as it would with strapless crop top or dress for the summer.
Hello, easy elegance!
Wear one as a brooch
Speaking of easy elegance: What could be simpler than popping a rosette onto ... well, just about anything?
Few accessories are quite as versatile as another trend set for major revival: the brooch. Feel like adding a rosette to your neckline? Your waist? Your jeans? Anything is possible. Per M. Khourdipour's Antique Fashion Blog, the traditional placement would be above the heart. However, outside of more formal occasions, pluck where you please. One thing we do recommend when playing with rosettes, though, is spicing things up by going the oversized route.
"And just like that," you're on your way to becoming the next Carrie Bradshaw.
Pop a few on your bikini
Remember how we said brooches could work just about anywhere? Yup — that includes your swimwear.
Follow Instagrammer, Eirunn's lead and pin a few rosettes onto an otherwise basic bikini or one-piece for a runway-ready beach day vibe. As a major plus, if you make or buy the rosettes in a variety of colors, it's easy to mix and match to your hearts' content. We're talking endless updates, here — making this the perfect packing hack for summer trips.
Just one disclaimer, here: Be sure to secure any safety pins used to tack the rosettes on!
Go for diagonal placements
It seems Sofia Richie can do no wrong in the fashion department, of late — and her all-white honeymoon look featuring rosettes on the left shoulder and right hip was no exception.
Richie isn't the only one who's gone for an asymmetrical look with rosettes recently, though. Fashion blogger, Rachel Schwab took to Instagram in early May to show off a pink top featuring a ruffle and a rosette on just her left shoulder. Simple, yet intriguing — it's no surprise she described it on Instagram as the item she was, "obsessed with."
Not to sound like the brooch brigade, but if you're struggling to find a piece with built-in asymmetrical rosettes ... you know what to do.
Add one to your belt
Adding a belt has the power to transform just about any look, as it is. Throw a rosette into the mix, though, and things get even more interesting.
Add a clip-on or brooch rosette to a skinny scarf or belt, or go for a readymade one, then play around with placements. Many a fashion blogger has styled theirs more to the side, like Roslyn Griner, for a play on those asymmetrical lines. However, as with brooches, there's no hard and fast rule, here. As seen at the Met Gala, Jennie Kim's rosette belt placed the flower right at the center of her belt.
Bottom line: Get those blooms on your belt.
Keep it dainty
Rosettes certainly lend themselves to a more dainty, feminine style, so if that's your aesthetic of choice, now's your time to shine.
Headed to a formal event this summer? Take a note from Zendaya's book, and opt for something that features a cascade of rosettes. Keep the rest of your accessorizing simple, though, and let the flowers do their thing.
As for incorporating the trend into more casual looks, keep things minimal with smaller rosettes. Even a field of flowers across your body will look dainty if they're on the smaller side.
... or go for big and bold
The truly great thing about rosettes is that even if they're more on the dainty side, they can certainly be used for bigger, bolder looks, too.
Case in point: Rihanna and Cardi B's looks at the 2023 Met Gala. An abundance of rosettes took the trend from minimalist to maximalist — and while their looks might be a little too avant-garde for day to day dressing, they can be easily translated. As fashion blogger, Lillie Grace demonstrated, a major bloom atop a crop top makes any dinner outfit high fashion.
Keep the rest of the look simple, here, too — let your petals do all the talking.
And if all else fails, use them as hair accessories
If the thought of accessorizing belts and bikinis, or bigger looks, a la Rihanna, with rosettes feels like too much, there's always the hair accessories route. After all, what's more timeless than a flower incorporated in a hairdo?
As Jennie Kim demonstrated at the Met Gala, rosettes don't need to be everywhere to be impactful. Just one flower in the hair, and one on the belt (if that!) is enough to give your summer wardrobe a very 2023 boost.
So, go forth, go floral, and make the rosette your own this season.