boutonniere

As homecomings go, it was one bloody boutonniere.

Sitting in his parents’ backyard in mid-May, he showed off pictures of Baby Elliott, then 9 months old, at prom the night before, wearing a tiny floral boutonniere Walton had made in an agriculture class.

Some have gradient hues or stripes and can be bigger than your hand or as dainty as boutonnieres.

Floral notes elevated the looks, like forever boutonnieres giving life to garments in sequins, appliques, embroidery and graphic prints — never the same.

“You frequently saw men wearing boutonnieres with business suits and wide brim hats and their wide rayon ties,” says Cole, “and there’s this dapperness.”