Pastels In Winter? Oh My!
By Ashley Bray
At this point, it’s safe to say everybody is going to be sugar coating their wardrobe this spring with ice cream shades of yummy sorbet colours. What says girly like candy floss pink, sea foam green, lemon yellow, lavender and ice blue? Pastels have conquered the runways of Spring 2012 with their fresh femininity.
It’s definitely been awhile since we’ve actually embraced such beautiful, graceful colours in paler tones. Times have been very tough for the last couple of years; we have seen designers turn to darker hues, reflecting the economic state we were in. However, we are slowly coming out of the gloomy rut that turned us away from the vitality of colour. Pastels have never been so In-your-face as it was for Spring 2012. Louis Vuitton took us to Candyland and Chanel took us under the sea with the girliest of skirts and dresses in lace, organza and sweet silks. Designers like Meacham Kirchhoff, Viktor & Rolf, and Mulberry (to name a few) didn’t shy away from such fabrics and silhouettes either. The elegance kept revealing itself, but wait – so did edginess. Phillip Lim Took different hues of baby pinks, yellows and blues, and perfected colour blocking with light-as-air separates, in trousers and jackets.
Meacham Kirchoff-S/S 2012
Did you ever think pastels could be both Elegant and edgy? Oh me neither. But they are, so I don’t think there will be a stop to this undeniable trend. We’ve established that pastels could be worn from head-to-toe by colour blocking; mixing different colours or sticking with one hue and doing different shades of it. But For fall, head-to toe won’t do. After all, we do resort to camels, chocolate browns, rusted oranges and blacks during that time of the year. So Instead, go subtle this fall. Make it sporty by pairing a pastel coloured trouser with darker separates, as shown in Helmut Lang’s, Chloe’s and No.21′s Pre-fall Collection. Lim paired a Pistachio coloured trouser with a beige leather jacket, No.21 used bubblegum pink for his trouser while Chloe opted for a boxy over-sized blazer in baby yellow with a burgundy pant.
Chloe Pre-Fall 2012 Collection
Phillip Lim S/S 2012
Fall can get so dreary, that we all know. But colder climates won’t get us down in the dumpsthis time around. The 50′s left war in distant memory for people, letting them embrace goodtimes with everything girly and everything light. Happier times now call for more pastel, so we won’t let it stop at Spring. Let it layer! Wear a sheer a blouse of those pretty candy colours over a chunky knit (Alexander Wang). Even better, wear cable-knit sweaters in yourfavourite hue. If you don’t know what that is, think of a bright colour that looks best on you and wear it’s counterpart. Sportswear will be prominent for this trend, but there won’t be any stop to elegance either.
Pedro Lourenco Pre-Fall 2012
BCBG max azria showed baby yellow in their flowy dresses while Chloe and No.21 used creamsicle and candy floss pink in theirs. Pedro Lourenco was another that incorporated pink throughout his pre-fall collection. If pastels wash you out, accessorize with it, using a cute clutch, bracelet or pair of earrings. And if you dare, paint those nails girls!
Pastels won’t be in your face for fall 2011/2012, but it won’t be missed either. There will be just enough to get those moods up while staying cute. I know Pastels are calling my name this fall, let it call yours too.
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I’d like to welcome Ashley Bray to the team of VFW bloggers. Ashley is a fashion student extraodinaire currently studying at Lasalle College International, Vancouver BC. Follow Ashley on Facebook here or drop her line on Twitter. Show Ashley some love! Leave a comment below and Ashley will personally get back to you.-Naja A.Kader, Editor-in-Chief, VFW Blog.
