Whether or not you went to yours with a plastic peony on your wrist, you’ll agree that corsages are about as polarising as accessories get. So why is Medine’s man-repelling gang wearing them again? Are corsages the biggest comeback since Crocs or are they still the height of naff?
This might be a moot point - surely their very naffness is what makes them appealing. They’re also cheerful and quite the challenge (i.e. how can I wear a flower on my chest without people thinking water’s about to squirt from it). Here are five ways to wear them without looking like you’re dressing for an S_ATC_reunion.
1. As A Bun Topper
Yes, that’s really me with an orange corsage topping my bun like a cherry would a sundae. I thought corsages should never migrate above the shoulders - after all an up-do plus flower equals bridesmaid - but I’m sticking my neck out and calling it ‘perky’. You do have to take extra care with your outfit; one false move with a cardigan or pair of chinos and you’ll look like Miss Honey. I would suggest doubling up on the florals with a petal-printed blouse, that way your corsage will look purposeful instead of like it fell on your head after a walk through the park.
2. On The Pocket Of A Utility Jacket
Jenna Lyons might have left J.Crew, but her legacy of khaki jackets endures. Witness her utility jacket dotted with daisy brooches at this year’s Met Gala, and try telling me you don’t believe in corsages. Get a cargo jacket pronto - H&M has one for £29.99 - and pin your corsage proudly on the pocket. The rest is up to you, but I’d suggest ripped jean shorts, a slogan tee and something cute on your feet like gold loafers or furry pool slides.
3. At The Collar With A Black Ribbon
It takes a brave lady to wear a corsage at the collar. At Gucci, they came sitting at the throat of a pussy bow, but that seems too costume drama for real life. Apparently not, if you nail the outfit like Pandora Sykes, who wore hers at the collar of a Peter Pan blouse and looped a black ribbon around it. Cos’sround-collared, ticker-striped shirt fits the bill (£45); try wearing it with giant earrings and dungarees to tick the vintage and prepster boxes.
4. On Your Wrist
At the risk of sounding like Kate Winslet in The Holiday saying, ‘I’m looking for corny in my life’ after she's given a corsage, a flower on the wrist is tempting in summer. Avoid affixing it to a ribbon unless you want to look like Darren from next door is about to whisk you to the leavers’ ball. Instead, attach it to a silk neck scarf - Accessorize has corsages that come with clips, so you don’t leave pin marks behind (£7) - and knot it around your wrist. Wear with something artless like straight-legged jeans or a slip dress and, trust me, you’ll have a micro trend on your hands (literally).
5. On Your Lapel
The most seemingly straightforward option, but there are pitfalls aplenty. Be vigilant about the blazer you choose. Too boxy and you’ll look like a geography teacher going through a fruity phase, too tailored and it’s like you’ve lost your way to Ascot. Your corsage should also be on the large side - anything tiddly will get lost and look accidental. 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%99re%20dressing%20for%20an%20SATC%20reunion.%201.%20As%20A%20Bun%20Topper%20Yes,%20that%E2%80%99s%20really%20me%20with%20an%20orange%20corsage%20topping%20my%20bun%20like%20a%20cherry%20would%20a%20sundae.%20I%20thought%20corsages%20should%20never%20migrate%20above%20the%20shoulders%20-%20after%20all%20an%20up-do%20plus%20flower%20equals%20bridesmaid%20-%20but%20I%E2%80%99m%20sticking%20my%20neck%20out%20and%20calling%20it%20%E2%80%98perky%E2%80%99.%20You%20do%20have%20to%20take%20extra%20care%20with%20your%20outfit;%20one%20false%20move%20with%20a%20cardigan%20or%20pair%20of%20chinos%20and%20you%E2%80%99ll%20look%20like%20Miss%20Honey.%20I%20would%20suggest%20doubling%20up%20on%20the%20florals%20with%20a%20petal-printed%20blouse,%20that%20way%20your%20corsage%20will%20look%20purposeful%20instead%20of%20like%20it%20fell%20on%20your%20head%20after%20a%20walk%20through%20the%20park.%202.%20On%20The%20Pocket%20Of%20A%20Utility%20Jacket%20Jenna%20Lyons%20might%20have%20left%20J.Crew,%20but%20her%20legacy%20of%20khaki%20jackets%20endures.%20Witness%20her%20utility%20jacket%20dotted%20with%20daisy%20brooches%20at%20this%20year%E2%80%99s%20Met%20Gala,%20and%20try%20telling%20me%20you%20don%E2%80%99t%20believe%20in%20corsages.%20Get%20a%20cargo%20jacket%20pronto%20-%20H&M%20has%20one%20for%20%C2%A329.99%20-%20and%20pin%20your%20corsage%20proudly%20on%20the%20pocket.%20The%20rest%20is%20up%20to%20you,%20but%20I%E2%80%99d%20suggest%20ripped%20jean%20shorts,%20a%20slogan%20tee%20and%20something%20cute%20on%20your%20feet%20like%20gold%20loafers%20or%20furry%20pool%20slides.%203.%20At%20The%20Collar%20With%20A%20Black%20Ribbon%20It%20takes%20a%20brave%20lady%20to%20wear%20a%20corsage%20at%20the%20collar.%20At%20Gucci,%20they%20came%20sitting%20at%20the%20throat%20of%20a%20pussy%20bow,%20but%20that%20seems%20too%20costume%20drama%20for%20real%20life.%20Apparently%20not,%20if%20you%20nail%20the%20outfit%20like%20Pandora%20Sykes,%20who%20wore%20hers%20at%20the%20collar%20of%20a%20Peter%20Pan%20blouse%20and%20looped%20a%20black%20ribbon%20around%20it.%20Cos%E2%80%99s%20round-collared,%20ticker-striped%20shirt%20fits%20the%20bill%20(%C2%A345);%20try%20wearing%20it%20with%20giant%20earrings%20and%20dungarees%20to%20tick%20the%20vintage%20and%20prepster%20boxes.%204.%20On%20Your%20Wrist%20At%20the%20risk%20of%20sounding%20like%20Kate%20Winslet%20in%20The%20Holiday%20saying,%20%E2%80%98I%E2%80%99m%20looking%20for%20corny%20in%20my%20life%E2%80%99%20after%20she' } blue petaled beauty is £320; I pinned it on a wallpaper-patterned Mother of Pearl blazer and felt like men must do when they have a flower threaded in their buttonhole. Go with the dandy professor vibe this time and pair with loafers and a Penguin Classics paperback.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.