victorian

Vintage Roots

What was old is new again. As with many styles and trends, they tend to fade away only to reemerge years later in a fresh new way. Pin-on corsages gave way to wrist corsages, which are now losing favor to the up-and-coming tussie mussie.

The tussie mussie  has been around the block a few times. Originating in the Victorian era, tussie mussies were once made of herbs and flowers presented in a lace doily. The flowers were chosen to convey a subtle message, such as pink for warm affection or red for passionate love.

A Modern Take

The modern version of the tussie mussie is a charming compact bouquet tied with ribbon. The flowers are selected less for their traditional meanings and more to coordinate with a dress or theme. The tussie mussie has several advantages over the wrist corsage:

  • It is larger, and can be made using a wider variety of flowers.
  • It makes a beautiful impact in pictures, but then can be placed on the table (and not in the way when the dancing begins).
Photo credit: Shaun Menary Photography
  • Tussie mussies can be put in a vase (provided) after the event and enjoyed for several days.
Photo credit: Convey Studios

Even though the tussie mussie is larger than the wrist corsage, the price is about the same. With a wrist corsage, a good percentage of the cost is attributed to labor. It takes about 20-25 minutes to make a single corsage, as each stem is individually wrapped, then tied together. Tussie mussies can be made in half the time, with more of the budget going into the flowers and greenery. So, in essence, the tussie mussie provides more bang for the buck.

Lilium has seen more and more teens opting for a tussie mussie during the past two prom seasons. The long-lasting bouquet is the most popular pick for several local proms, with the trend rapidly spreading to other campuses. Due to our capacity, this year we are offering exclusively tussie mussies, as well as boutonnieres, to our prom clients. Because prom season coincides with a busy wedding season, as well as Mother’s Day, we recommend placing orders early to take advantage of this popular trend.