Floral motifs are among the most universal decorative elements in dress, appearing in societies across the globe. However they are also more than just decorative ornaments; the flower is a unifying and versatile stylistic device which is connected in highly specific ways to different systems of social organization, personal adornment, and religious practice.

In the Berg Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion, Peter McNeil explores how the symbol of the flower has communicated cultural values, social status, religious beliefs, gender identities, and connections, across various cultural contexts, from the ancient world to the 20th century.

The versatility of the floral motif is demonstrated by its use symbolically as an expression of sexuality. In the words of Havelock Ellis, “There is nothing so vitally intimate to himself that man has not seen it, and rightly seen it, symbolically embodied in flowers” (Impressions and Comments, 1914). Blooms can, on the one hand, be associated with nature, purity, and religion, and on the other, artifice, sensuality, and sexuality. In The Floral Closet Dominic Janes Janes looks at how flowers became an important coded symbol within queer male culture in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He argues that floral imagery provided a socially acceptable way for homosexual men to express identity, desire, and aesthetic sensibilities at a time when homosexuality was criminalized and heavily stigmatized.

In Chinese culture, floral images often indicate the harmonious existence between humans and nature and can be used to represent wishes of abundance and success. In The Aesthetics and Meanings of the Embroidered Imagery, Alexandra B. Bonds examines how embroidery in Beijing Opera (Jingju) costumes functions as a sophisticated visual language that communicates information about a character's identity, social status, personality, morality, and role in the drama.