How to wear pastels
How do you look good in pastels?
To paraphrase the immortal words of Miranda Priestly, from the fashion-favourite movie The Devil Wears Prada, “Pastels for spring? Groundbreaking.” And, let’s be honest, pastels for spring isn’t really anything new, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t love them! The moment all those beautifully bright daffodils and crocuses start to blossom our minds automatically turn to spring and colour! Plus, every spring season we seem to be obsessed with new and different hues. Last year was all about lilac, just look at the fact that Pantone named Very Peri as their colour of year, but now we’re also noticing a huge shift towards pinks, greens and oranges. In fact, it’s all about the colours of the rainbow, in pastel shades, this year. Need to know who to wear pastels so you'll look good in pastels? Just check out the guide, and you'll brighten up the streets in your pastel outfit in no time!
How do you dress a pastel colour?
While winter was all about neutrals, be prepared to bring the colour this spring! Don’t be afraid though if you’re not a fan of super bright colours, because pastels still have a beautifully soothing quality. When we say pastels think of baby blues, lemony yellows, soft pinks and mint hues, basically all the colours of your childhood. There’s something so comforting and dreamy about pastel shades which is probably why they have become the go-to colour for self care beauty products and other calming aesthetics. In terms of fashion, the styling options when it comes to pastels are also pretty endless, and there’s absolutely no need to get rid of your neutrals just yet! If you’re not entirely sure about pastels fitting in with your wardrobe, start off small with subtle pastel details. Go for a cute pastel mani & pedi, add some pretty pastel beaded bracelets to your arm party or get yourself a pastel coloured bag. Then, once you’re feeling a bit more daring and comfortable in the pastel style stakes, style a pastel sweater or cardigan with your neutral beige faux leather trousers or light-wash high waisted mom jeans and build from there. Trust us, you’ll be a pastel convert in no time!
"I love the smell of pastels...they breathe life into my soul."
How do you wear pastels together?
Colour blocking is a trend that’s often reserved for the brightest & boldest primary colours, but believe us when we say that pastels lend themselves to colour blocking really well too! We’re big fans of styling our pastel pink trousers with a mint green blazer, or a pair of lemon yellow pants with a baby blue sweater, while lilac looks amazing with grey, white and baby pink. If you’re looking to combine two of the biggest trends for spring: pastels and bold colours, then why not colour block with both, go on we dare ya! Try styling pastel pink with bold red, long thought to be a major fashion no-no, but now a favourite combo for colour-block loving fashionistas. Or go for seriously bold style with lilac and bright purple, or mint green and fuschia pink. Pastels are happy and fun, so have some fun styling them!
How do you combine pastel shades?
Co-ords are definitely here to stay, and so is the doubling up trend. With double denim making a comeback as Y2K style is experiencing a revival, and even double leather making an appearance on the fashion scene, think leather suits, we think you should definitely try out doubling up on your pastel shades too! We love a matching pastel pink women’s suit styled with a loose shirt or blouse and chunky dad sneakers, or even a matching blazer and skirt combo in a funky pastel shade styled with a simple white t-shirt, full-on necklace stack and knee-high boots. For those of us who love to double-up on trends as well as outfits, pastels and Y2K is basically a match made in style heaven. Go for a cropped blazer and high-waisted pants combo in a pastel hue and style with a cropped white t-shirt, cos Y2K was all about the crop, and add some cute hair accessories for a 00s look even Hillary Duff in her Lizzie Maguire years, would be proud of. Hit a total style home run by finishing off your look with some of the major makeup trends, and your status as style queen is complete.
‘’Double trouble in paradise’’
Can you mix pastels with prints?
Ready to go truly bold?! In that case, it’s time to start mixing and matching your pastels with prints, the zanier the better! In keeping with some of the latest trends for the season, go for checked jeans with a pastel top, or swishy 60s and 70s retro printed tops paired with a pastel skirt or flares. Stop playing it safe, and go bold! Take that retro vibe all the way with cute beaded jewellery and smiley faced jewellery, or check out the Candy Couture collection for pieces that would really fit the mood, finish off your look with a headscarf in a matching or equally zany print and big 70s style sunglasses or pastel coloured sunnies. Go wild when styling your pastels, you’ll love it!
What skin tone suits pastels?
Whatever your skin tone there's no reason to shy away from pastels as they truly are for everyone! However, there are of course certain pastel shades that work better for you depending on your skin tone and the underlying cool, neutral or warm shade of your skin. Fair skinned women with light hair and eyes tend to have a cooler base tone, so equally cool pastel hues such as lilac, baby blue and powdery pink will really make you shine. Medium girls with light skin and darker features can handle a slightly warmer pastel colour such as lemon yellow, peach and mint green to really enhance the warm golden tones within your skin and colouring. If you lean more in between fair to medium, and have fairly pale skin you can go for those cooler pastels but also carefully incorporate warmer hues. Finally, dark skinned women can really push pastels to their brightness limits. Yellows and oranges will truyl pop on your skin, especially when paired with gorgeous teal and turqoise accents. Striking looks guaranteed!
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