Ok, so if just reading the heading of this post was enough to teleport you back to your pastel yellow skinny jeans of 1982, you’re probably a little afraid right now.
Probably thinking, what will this crazy woman be having us incorporating into our wardrobe next?
Wasn’t she happy with ’80s flashbacks via neon?
SORRY.
It seems neon will not sate my desire to embrace trends of past. No matter how badly I wore those trends the first time round.
Perhaps that’s it?
Perhaps, getting to give a trend a try the second or third time round gives you a chance to redeem yourself. To make good on the fashion sins of past?
Or maybe I’m just a sucker for anything prefaced by the word new?
… best not try and understand and just run with it, hey?
Which brings me to the point of this post.
As I’m heading into the northern hemisphere summer in just five weeks, I’ve been paying more than a cursory attention to the sweet young things popping up on my Pinterest feed combining delish shades of pastels.
I had dismissed this trend out of hand (referring you back to the lemon yellow jeans of 1982) until I saw the new collection of styles arriving at Country Road.
WOWZERS. HOLY MOLY.
They had me at this dress.
Buy here
So I had to investigate a little further, didn’t I?
Here was my first taste of 2012 pastels featuring in the new-season collections of one of my favourite Australian labels. It had to be a sign. A learning, if you may.
Maybe … just maybe I COULD wear pastels after all.
It would take a bit of cleverness but with some simple guidelines, I think anyone can make this trend their own this season.
Here’s how I think you need to approach it.
1. Think of pastels as your accent colours. Head-to-toe pastels will work on those pretty young things I talked about earlier, not so good if you’re … ahhem … mature, like me.
2. Work pastels back with neutrals – black and grey for an edge; white and nude for a more romantic look.
3. Keep the lines of the outfit – and your accessories – simple. Let the colour do the talking.
4. Add in two more more neutral colours to tone out the outfit. This works particularly well if working a separates outfit with your pastel piece is either your pants or your jacket.
5. Do work these shades into your winter wardrobe. Just because they’re in store now and screaming spring, doesn’t mean you can’t use them to brighten up your outfit on a dreary day.
Want to see some more?
All these Country Road outfits featured in the gallery are in store and online now.
What say you re pastels? Could you? Will you? What’s your favourite pastel shade?
