The grown up guide to wearing pastels

Meadham Kirchhoff Spring 2012 for Rookie Magazine by Eleanor Hardwick

If you have been shopping over the last couple of weeks you will have noticed that pastels are ‘on trend’ for spring summer 2012 . The fashion dictators/forecasters (oops that might have been me!) have decreed that ice cream shades are going to be the ‘hot new thing’ for this season, which may look super cool if you are a 20 year old Dalston hipster or a prima ballerina, but maybe not so great if you are 40 something woman, who’s idea of wearing colour is red lipstick with an all black outfit.

Meadham Kirchhoff Spring 2012 for Rookie Magazine by Eleanor Hardwick

So exactly how do we wear pastels without looking like a middleaged ‘mother of the bride’, who bought her outfit from the fourth floor of a provincial department store?

Rule no 1 – don’t buy sickly sweet colours like those in the Meadham Kirchhoff collection. Despite being my favourite show featuring pastels, they really only look stunning on gorgeous young models. There is a very real danger of looking like you’re wearing 70’s style synthetic nighties from Brentford Nylons. You have been warned!

Also pastel coloured hair is a big no-no! Don’t think I haven’t considered it, as I love this look. But if you are over forty, lilac hair is more Mrs Slocombe than Pixie Geldof, so I’m persuading my teen to go for it instead!

Rule no 2 and possibly the only rule, is mix pastel colours with neutrals or darks to break up an outfit. Head to toe pastels are not a good look and should be avoided at all costs. My Little Pony is for small children, not grown women!

Jill Stuart

Jill Stuart uses shades of stone and camel with pastels in her Spring/Summer 12 collection, which works really well and looks feminine, but sophisticated.

Diane Von Furstenberg

DVF combines dark brown and tinted nuetrals with pastels. I love the little flash of duck egg blue, used with chocolate brown and stone. You could simply add a pastel belt or t shirt to an entirely neutral outfit, for a pop of colour.

Phillip Lim

Lemon is an easy colour to add to grey, white or stone, for a pared down take on pastels. I just love the Phillip Lim collection and really want one of those shell tops.

Phillip Lim

Black, cream and grey, colour blocked with pastel pink and lilac are great colour combinations and can also be worn with black based prints. Combining pink and lemon with deep ink navy also works well.

If you simply can’t bring your self to wear anything pastel, you could always try pastel accessories. We love these colour blocked shoes from the new Kurt Geiger Spring collection, pastel nail varnish and patent flats from Top Shop and if you want to spend a little bit (make that a lot) this gorgeous Louis Vuitton bag.