Real men love a bit of floral

Shirt makers Pigletchops say the floral trend will brighten up the winter months – but who will be man enough to wear it well? It is thirty years since Terry Wogan stormed the charts with his hit The Floral Dance. Clutching a bunch of carnations on Top of The Pops, Sir Tel masterminded a TV moment that shook the nation and proved that the mark of a true man is to say it with flowers.

Three decades later, Britain’s male fashionistas are taking Terry’s lead and buying flowers… for themselves! Except, it’s not actual blooms they’re snapping up, but floral shirts.

Flower power returned to the fashion world this summer. And according to a leading fashion house which specialises in floral designs the trend looks set to stay throughout the darker days and nights of the coming winter.

“The flower print shirt is a perennial classic. Just like traditional stripes, classic whites and preppy pastels, says Sarah Dening, the founder of UK shirt maker, Pigletchops.

“Floral is a theme that keeps being reinvented. It’s usually a popular choice for summer, but it will survive the frosts this year, giving men’s fashion a refreshing lift throughout the autumn and winter,” she says.

But who will be leading the charge in wearing a fashion that some consider feminine?

Dening says, “Floral prints are by no means the preserve of women’s fashion. Depending on the style, a floral shirt can look refined and sophisticated; rock n roll; or surf style. Some men lack the confidence and fashion savvy to wear a floral shirt well, while others have embraced the style and made it their signature.”

For some men, wearing floral prints means stepping quite a long way out of their fashion comfort zone. To assuage their fears, Pigletchops has compiled a list of its Top 10 Men That Love A Bit Of Floral – to prove that even the most manly of men (yes, Magnum!) can stand proud in petal print:

1. Norman Cook – crazy checks, graphic swirls and flower prints, the Fat Boy’s wardrobe is bulging with a daring line in shirts.
2. Antony Worrall Thompson – one of life’s epicureans, AWT appreciates the finer things in life, including a shirt collection full of colour, pattern and florals.
3. Paul McCartney – stepping out in London recently, the former Beatle gave a nod to the psychedlic era wearing a jaunty flower print shirt.
4. Chris Evans – the flower print shirt is a staple of media mogul and King of the airwaves Chris Evans’ wardrobe.
5. Magnum – the moustachiod PI, played by Tom Selleck, will forever be remembered for his flamboyant flower print shirts.
6. Brian Wilson – the Beach Boy lived the Californian lifestyle and still favours the surfer dude comfort of a cool cotton, floral shirt.
7. Tony Montana – Al Pacino sports a floral shirt in the iconic film posters for the cult gangster flick Scarface.
8. Jack Nicholson – the Hawaiian shirt has become something of a signature garment for the womanizing actor.
9. Arnold Schwarzenegger – former body builder Arnie, now Governor of California, has been spotted enjoying off-duty days in a floral shirt.
10. Elvis – The King may be gone, but his style will always be copied by the coolest cats in town, including his penchant for Hawaiian style shirts.

The Pigletchops collection has already received interest from celebrities such as Norman Cook, with Anthony Worrall Thompson hand selecting his two favourite designs.

Both have limited edition shirts from Pigletchops which reproduce the amazing designs of 1950’s designer, Mary White.

Something for the ladies…
Lest the ladies feel left out as men snap up flowers for themselves, Pigletchops is using Mary White’s designs to create a new range of Bikinis, also available from the website.

To view the collection, visit pigletchops.co.uk.