Dressing in Pastels Throughout the Year
Pastels are fun to wear for Easter and spring, but sometimes people avoid wearing them all year because they worry that they will look out-of-season. Never fear! The bloggers below show us that with these strategies, it’s easy to wear pastels with confidence during the Easter season and all year long!
Match pastels to a pattern or other multicolored piece
An easy way to wear pastels throughout the year is to use pastels to bring out colors in another multicolored piece. For instance, if you have a patterned blazer or a graphic tee, you can use a pastel skirt or jacket to pull out one of the colors in this piece. The colors don’t necessarily have to match exactly: you may have a plaid jacket in navy blue and bright yellow which would go well with baby blue or a softer yellow. Or, maybe you have a tee with a royal purple graphic on it which would pair well with lavender bottoms.
(Elizabeth Sherwood of StayGoldenGirl wears a vintage Laura Ashley dress with a modern teddy jacket in millennial pink.)
(Beth Jones pairs lavender pants with a rainbow jacket!)
Mix pastels with darker neutrals
If you are unsure about wearing pastels in fall and winter, just layer them on top of darker colors. Pastels with black, navy, or leopard print don’t call to mind Easter as much as you might think. Try a baby blue jacket over an all-black ensemble, or a lavender blouse with black pants.
(FriskyGatos pairs a lavender blouse with these gingham pants, which are a spring print in a dark color.)
(FriskyGatos pairs jeans and a neutral navy blazer with a baby blue blouse and pastel pink belt bag.)
(Elizabeth Sherwood pairs a pastel midi skirt with a black tank and patterned bomber.)
Combine pastels with neon or muted colors
Pastels look amazing with white, of course, but they can also be combined with neons and muted colors. Since the monochromatic look has grown in popularity, a lot more people have been combining light pinks and corals with maroons and burgundies. This looks fabulous and can be recreated with other, less obvious color combinations, too. Try wearing a mint green top with a forest green skirt and a neon green scarf, or pair a buttery yellow top with mustard pants.
(FriskyGatos pairs a soft pink with an autumnal shade of mustard yellow.)
(Elizabeth Sherwood wears a fluffy pastel pink blouse with a nearly-neon midi skirt.
(Taylor of Taylor_Made_Style mixes mint green with hot pink.)
Wear pastels in modern silhouettes
A head-to-toe pastel outfit can look very chic in a modern silhouette. Try pairing wide-leg or cropped pants with a crop top, slouchy sweater, or long, structured blazer.
(FriskyGatos is an expert at dressing in modern pastels. She often adds a Renaissance headband and a fanny pack slung over her shoulder for an extra touch of 2020.)
(Elizabeth Sherwood wears high-waist pants with a millennial pink puffer in a square, cropped silhouette.)
Wear structured pieces
Pastels are sweet colors that often feel soft and innocent or remind us of childhood. They pair well with blazers, jackets, button-ups, and trousers because these structured items feel more mature and powerful. Thus, wearing soft colors in powerful silhouettes can create a pleasing contrast.
(Leigh of PinkVintageHrt wears a lot of pastels and is an expert at layering them with jeans, dresses with poofy sleeves, blazers, and jackets.)
(Leigh and company all in structured pieces, some pastel and some not.)
These creative Instagrammers show that it’s not hard to fit beautiful lavenders, pinks, and corals into your outfits no matter the season. Not only does it open up your creative horizons, but you will get more wears out of each item, too!
