It's Photo Friday! Boutonniere Swag!

 Do you remember the show "Pimp my Ride?"  It's where they would take an ordinary looking car and trick it out...making it into a dude's dream ride.  It was kind of like an HGTV room makeover show....but with cars for guys.I'm sure you may have noticed that personal flower designs have gotten quite a makeover in recent years.  And it's not just flowers for the ladies....men's designs have been totally transformed as well!  Gone are the white carn or sweetheart rose with gyp boutonnieres...today, florists are really focusing attention on styles for men and are tricking out bouts with trendy looks that are super HOT!Using unusual floral materials...sometimes just branches, berries and foliage...along with fun accessories like feathers, colored aluminum wire or rustic twine; flower professionals are taking boutonnieres to the next level.  Customization is not just for the ladies anymore....florists are adding copper keys or tiny gears to men's personal flowers to create "steampunk" inspired boutonnieres.  Succulents and air plants are masculine makeover materials that are all the rage.  Men are sporting floral pocket squares for an even more sleek and modern look.Boutonniere's have been radically transformed in style, materials and size thanks to a variety of floral design MAGNETS available.  J Schwanke has popularized a simple bout of 3 green button mums which are arranged VERTICALLY on his lapel...a style which utilizes three small magnets.Club uBloom Member, Jorge Uribe is known for his "out of the box" design work...and this includes boutonnieres as well.  Check out the above photo of Jorge wearing one of his amazing bout designs.  This ain't your grandpappy's boutonniere!  Jorge layered equisetum, hypericum berries, cymbidium petals and hanging amaranthus to create his stunning design.  You will also notice the size of Jorge's bout...it is nearly twice as large as a traditional boutonniere.  This works because Jorge kept it in scale...adding length but keeping the design narrow in width so that it doesn't overwhelm.Men's flowers have come a LONG WAY baby...and I'm loving it...aren't you?  Special thanks to Jorge Uribe for sharing his photo...I hope that his bout design inspires YOU to think outside of the box when it comes to men's floral fashions!