The Butterfly Effect

Elsa Schiaparelli, Printed Silk Organza Evening Dress, Summer 1937

Philadelphia Museum of Art 

No creature better symbolizes nature's rebirth than the butterfly, which may be why designers have covered their tops, dresses, and jumpsuits with the metamorphosing insect this spring. Although novel for this season's styles, butterfly prints are not new to fashion. Perhaps the most famous examples of butterfly-printed clothing are Elsa Schiaparelli's butterfly-covered evening dresses from the late 1930s, which may have been inspired by the three-color carbon transfer prints of brightly colored butterflies by the Surrealist artist Man Ray. Although today's butterflies are not as hyper-real as Schiaparelli's, whose designs were heavily influenced by Surrealist artworks, they certainly breathe new life into drab winter wardrobes. Here are our favorites:

ASOS Butterfly Print Playsuit, $57.30 

Lipsy Butterfly Dress, $68.04

 

The Limited Butterfly Print Dress, $89.90

 

Wyatt Ivory Silk Butterfly Print Dolman Sleeve Blouse, $79.20



Jackie