In my last article, my New Year’s Fashion Resolutions, I wrote about my keen desire to add more colour to my wardrobe. I’d definitely consider myself a somewhat colourless kind of gal, and if I do wear colour it tends to be muted, or a single bright piece teamed with an otherwise black outfit. Pastels are synonymous with femininity, and so if you wouldn’t consider yourself a very ‘feminine’ dresser, you might think that pastels are a difficult trend for you to get started with. I thought this myself when I purchased a pale pink boyfriend sweater from ASOS last year. It was a risk because a baggy sweater that is also a pastel shade is a key piece that can’t be worn without making a style statement.
Whenever I choose to wear it it’s usually worked in as the focal point of my outfit. However, when I team it with dark skinny jeans and black trainers I feel perfectly at ease wearing such a feminine colour. However, if feminine is your favourite style then by all means, block colour your pastels! A lilac top with a pastel pink bottom can look fabulous as long as you have the confidence to pull it off. I’d suggest keeping hair and make-up minimalistic so that you aren’t overdoing the drama. If you prefer a more androgynous or masculine look, then you can still wear pastels, but consider trying one block pastel colour with contrasting darker elements. This way you’ll feel like you haven’t moved too far out of your comfort zone.
There are easier ways to bring some pastels into your life without forcing it on your wardrobe. Barry M brought out their ‘matte nails’ polish collection last year, and it includes numerous beautiful pastel shades. I personally adore ‘Nude Vanilla’ and have been sporting it frequently. Otherwise, you can try brighter pastel shades, such as Model’s Own shades ‘Blueberry Muffin’ or ‘Banana Split’. In a similar vein as nail polish, lipstick is a daring but minimal way to bring some pastel into your look. Pastel pink or lilac matte shades could look incredible if teamed with bronzed cheeks and a monochrome outfit. I would personally recommend ‘Posture’ by Illamasqua, which is my favourite matte lilac lipstick. It can be worn both as an allover colour or blurred into a lip stain for a less dramatic look.
Beyond make up we move into accessories and shoes. In the same way you can team intense make up with muted outfit shades, you can do this with your accessories. An oversized pastel blue tartan scarf would look incredible with grey and black shades underneath, and possibly a vintage denim jacket over the top.
My final advice for wearing pastel shades is definitely to be brave sometimes and go all out with your fashion choices. A gorgeous trend I’ve had my eye on is PVC, or in particular the ‘plastic skirt’ as I like to call it. Topshop sold out of their pale pink PVC midi skirt, but there are miniskirt pale pink and blue options out there, and if you can imagine yourself in a black crop top and high-waisted PVC baby blue skirt then go for it. It’s certainly not for everyone, but pastels are a shade that eyes are immediately drawn to, so get all eyes on you this season and try out a tricky trend.
