Are Big Bows Too Cutesy?

Lately I've been seeing bows, big and small on clothes everywhere. (All the shirts below are from Top Shop simple because I'm too lazy to look through another website.) Sometimes a bow really adds some much needed adornment and girliness to a shirt or dress. But sometimes I feel like it's just too much. As with nautical-inspired clothes, the design could become overly cutesy and costume-looking.

For instance, I first saw this shirt online I thought the bow was way too big. It totally reminded me of the sailor or school uniforms that we see in Japanese anime. But then I saw my friend wear it and it looked simple and cute, but not overly cute on her. Maybe the key is to keep everything else around the shirt (ie. your jeans and hair) simple?

Moving onto more bows... I am not a fan of a bow graphic tee, or any prints that have little bows all over them. I thought the point of a bow was to add something extra, sort of like another layer or texture to the shirt.

I can't decide what to think of this bow. On one hand the top would look simpler but plainer without the bow. On the other hand, it makes a potentially versatile top into something more frilly and girly.

The silhouette (kind of Miu Miu S/S08-esque) caught my eye. The fake buttons are a nice touch, but what do you think of the bows? They seem to suit the shirt.

This is my favourite out of the shirts here. For some odd reason, I really like the huge bow in the middle -maybe it's because the bow doesn't look completely like a big puffy bow. It's very flat and the colours of the shirt (nude and white) make the top seem more sophisticated than cutesy. It looks like a nice top for work (provided you work in a casual business office.)

Anyway, I think I will stop here. I have used the word 'cutesy' way too many times within the past fifteen minutes for my own comfort!

Image Credit: http://www.topshop.com/