Give Me Roses
The rose is a flower of beauty, virtue, and femininity, and its scent brings memories of love and romance. For me, roses also bring memories of my mother and grandmother. My grandmother, my father’s mother, kept a rose garden in Brooklyn which delighted me as a child. I marveled at the lush, tall vines reaching up toward the sun and the city buildings overhead. I can still hear my grandmother’s voice against the banging of the R train overhead as she pointed out her latest blooms.
My mother was born in England, and growing up, our living room was her transplanted English countryside. The entire house was appointed with flowers. Roses cropped up in every room. Pink petals unfurled on couches, curtains and bedspreads, teacups, and dishes. I’m unsure of the point at which we become our mothers, but my love of flowers, particularly roses, is strong.
Maybe it was when I was 14 after my first trip to England, that I fell in love with the countryside and the gardens we visited there. I can pinpoint my love of the smell of roses at least down to the day I purchased Penhaligon’s Scented Book of Secrets, at Leeds Castle gift shop, a diary and imprinted inside an explanation of the title that each page of the stationary pages had been “Scented with Penhaligon’s Elizabethan Rose… that carries the bouquet of old-fashioned bouquet found in an Elizabethan rose garden.” With its tiny lock and key, it felt like something for my eyes only, a little world unto my secrets.
A trace of the distinct sweet floral persists today and has, over the years, stayed with me as the benchmark in my pursuit of the truest rose scent. As I shop for perfumes and candles, I always search for the un-muddled splendor of the singular English rose as my own signature scent, at home and as personal fragrance. I am happy to share a few favorites I have discovered today: Jo Malone’s Red Roses and Kai Rose Eau de Parfum and Kai Rose Body Lotion.
It’s no surprise then that I also love wearing a rose print. Nothing quite says summer like garden florals and June (my birth month)and July bring forth roses. And V. Chapman's dresses seem to be the epitome of Victorian splendor. The designer says she pays tribute to her own grandmother with the line characterized by feminine details, tiers of ruffles and florals and lots of Victorian rose prints. The drama is great for brides, bridesmaids, and overall main-character energy —if you’re looking for an excuse to dress up any given summer day, as I did. Even just wearing a rose color or a little rose-shaped pendant has become a signature style choice that makes me feel like my truest self. And it’s nice to think that I’m honoring the women who taught me what it is to be a woman.
Of course, wearing roses, naturally, I think of love and romance too. And it was my boyfriend who shot these favorite photos of me this day that I will always cherish. I hope that you too will court some romance that is just for you to enjoy by wearing florals. I’d love to hear about a symbol you incorporate into your wardrobe in the comments below. If don’t have one, keep searching for what inspires you! As Miley Cyrus says: “I can buy myself flowers.” You never know, roses might be just the thing you need.
