Be bold with bright floral dresses as seen on Michelle Williams in Shutter Island

Go retro with bold floral dresses

While we stare out of the window at the snow, sleet and rain that’s dominating February, we’re daydreaming of summer. Or even spring if it ever comes. Whether you’re planning your warmer wardrobe or maybe you’ve even started accumulating items, you’ll know that floral prints are everywhere. They took over the spring/summer 2010 runways, particularly during Milan Fashion Week. Designers like Alberta Ferretti, Dolce & Gabbana and cult fashion label Marni showcased their flirty florals last year and now we’re finally seeing them in the shops.

This year the colours are considerably brighter than the simple prints we’ve been seeing the last few years. And right on time we’ve spotted Dawson’s Creek and Brokeback Mountain actress Michelle Williams in a gorgeous vintage floral number in new Scorsese thriller Shutter Island. Michelle has been hailed for her quirky street-style which often consists of cool indie looks and cosy pea-coats. But it’s not all comfy and cute for the star as she’s equally praised for her red carpet looks, particularly the yellow tulle and silk Vera Wang gown she wore to the Oscars with Heath Ledger in 2006. Having firmly planted herself on the radar as a style icon, it’s no wonder we’re looking to her for the latest trends, and that’s just what we’re seeing in Shutter Island.

When U.S. Marshalls are called to an island in Massachusetts where a patient has escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane, disaster strikes. Michelle takes on the role of Dolores Chanal, the lost love of Marshal Teddy Daniels (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) in the 1950’s set mystery. However, Dolores’s boldly patterned yellow dress isn’t the stereotypical A-line that we all think of as quintessentially fifties. Instead it’s a simple knee length shirt-dress, but with a colourful flower and leaf print.

Costume designer Sandy Powell is no stranger to working with vintage costume ideas having won Oscars for her work on Shakespeare in Love and The Aviator. Whilst working on Shutter Island she created a lot of the costumes herself as the vintage fabrics were a lot heavier than contemporary ones. However for Michelle’s character she used original pieces, namely the yellow printed shirt dress. Powell says: “Color is the first thing I think about and it’s usually an instinctive feeling. For example, with Dolores, I just had this feeling she should be wearing yellow and her dress plays throughout the film, so I had to get it absolutely right.” And she’s managed to hit two trends with one dress, with both florals and yellow tones prominent in the spring/summer look books.

We’ve found a selection of beautiful and bright floral print dresses for you to choose from, whether you’re looking for a button-up dress like Michelle’s or something a bit more modern. These dresses are perfect for the warmer weather teamed with tan sandals or wedges and a simple cardigan. But while there’s still a chill in the air the prints are bold enough to be worn with dark tights and a blazer.