ALL ABOUT IRIS

How to counterbalance their ruffled elegance or go with the flow..

Iris are one of my most beloved flowers. Their wonderful slightly dishevelled elegance brings early summer nights in the South of France to the mind. Gabrielle Chanel famously planted fields of purple iris in her garden at Villa La Pausa, her wonderful home at the French Riviera, as well as slopes of lavender, groves of orange and olive trees and clusters of climbing roses. Please remember that image when planning a garden. You will thank me for it.

Decide on the colours first. 'Caesar´s Brother' is a wonderful dark blue, 'Butter and Sugar' a buttery, soft yellow, 'Sparkling Rose' a bluish pink. Praskac sells them all and so many more, so it´s worth to make the trip. If you can´t decide on one colour, buy them all and mix them up. Because who can decide?

The question of dressing for Iris should be considered with upmost care. You do want to look good for them. A marinière is the obvious choice, but this is a fashion blog, so we don´t do obvious here. Femme Maison´s striped dress will work beautifully. It´s all about the mood, darlings.

Natures of Conflict has other fabulous solutions.. Their off-white workwear suit suggests days spent leisurely clipping roses, with a glass of white wine in one hand, secateurs and straw basket in the other.. And their bathing suit is more South of France than anything I´ve ever seen outside of Saint Tropez. 

If you are more the 'Secondhand Rose secondhand clothes' type, go for a white ruffled shirt - old Dirndl shirts are a fabulously chic choice and should be worn at all times, under slip dresses, over simple tank tops, belly-baring with your most precious 70s suit - and your lover´s gabardine pants. Wear with all your pearl necklaces or a pair of baroque pearl earrings for utmost allure. Remember, pearls are Ms Chanel´s tears of joy.

Your outfit is not complete without a superb straw hat. Mandatory, darlings. Mühlbauer has the chicest ones. Try them on, and take your time. Choosing a hat is serious business, and should include a glass of champagne and some macarons. My choice would be the Bert Alessa H. Everyone can have une tête à chapeau. 

But what about the drinks, you might ask. Some rose-infused Earl Grey tea served on your terrace in the mornings, and a rose cocktail for l´heure bleue. So appropriate.

N´est-ce-pas?