I would never describe myself as a pastel person, but the evidence says otherwise: I’ve just searched the blog and in less than a year, I’ve written posts on pink, lilac and light blue. Similarly, there is no denying the fact that I’ve merrily worn pastels for years – I should stop pretending and admit that I am, in fact, a person who loves pastels.

There is no shame in that. I believe my reluctance to come out of the closet regarding my pastel habit stems partly from the old connotations with 50s housewives and Barbies. But modern pastels are about something else entirely and have been for years. You can do clean cut power pastels in sophisticated colour combinations; you can do pop-inspired, knowing cuteness; you can do sophisticated romanticism a la McQueen; you can do subversively sexy in patent and dirty candy colours.

There is also another factor that has contributed to my love affair with pastels: my hair has become blonder and blonder over the years, becoming almost white recently. As I’m also pale and have light eyes, certain pastel tones work well with my colouring. It’s not a coincidence that for some of the biggest events of my life, I’ve worn lilac.

I’ve postulated in an earlier post that pastels have become a meta-trend, something that is a permanent part of our aesthetic palette. There is no clearer indication of pastels being mainstreamed than rose quartz and serenity declared joint Pantone colours of the year. There are always sub-trends within the meta-trend, of course. At the moment, these include light blue eye shadow, almost neon trainers and pastels done in maximalist way, with ruffles and voluminous shapes, mixed with patterns and glitter.

Whether trendy or not, a very high percentage of things I’ve bought this spring have been pastel coloured: from an unashamedly romantic Zara dress to an extremely sleek pale lilac bag to pink suede flats by Nicholas Kirkwood. After months of greyness and damp, there is nothing more uplifting than wearing head-to-toe pastels and some violet perfume.

Pictured:
– floral dress by Zara
– Apres l’Ondee by Guerlain
– tinted lip balm by Les Merveilleuses Laduree
– bag and scarf by & Other Stories
– Beya loafers by Nicholas Kirkwood