Greet this spring’s new optimistic spectrum
This Easter, dressing up in pale pinks and yellows is no longer merely a seasonal novelty but a chic fashion statement. The light hues were omnipresent on the catwalk; appearing in Miu Miu, Dior and Marc Jacobs’ shows. Now, the high street has punctually followed suit with candy cool ranges at New Look, Miss Selfridge and Topshop, to name a few. Sweet sundresses, trendy tapered trousers and fabulous floating tops are in store and ready for you to snatch up. Frosty glacier blues, mint greens, lemon yellows and peachy pinks grace this season’s sugary sweet colour wheel. The frosty hues do not need a contrasting orange-brown skin to compliment them though. Glacier shades on pale skin bring it right up to date with a certain individual edginess. Frosty Shades+ Frosty Skin = A Marvellously Modern Visual. Midi dresses look very up to date in pastel colours; longer lengths add to the feeling of fresh summer purity. A pleated skirt nods towards preppy and adding pearls will make the look feel more vintage. Wear this palette anywhere and everywhere for a light hearted step into the fashion world.
This is the trend that conjures up thoughts of fresh flowers and exotic ice creams; the exact sorts of things that we wish to imagine at spring and summer time. The designers that included pastels in their ready-to-wear spring/summer 2012 collections reads like a distinguished luxury brand list; Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Dolce and Gabbana to name a few.
The pretty princess aesthetic swept across the nations in the royal wedding flourish of 2011. That white lace Alexander McQueen wedding dress left most style critics grinning in awe and sky rocketed Sarah Burton’s name into the fashion industry spotlight. After that, people went mad over white lace and whilst that is still popular, a new colour wheel is now creeping onto the scene. Ice blue, sorbet pink, primrose yellow and seafoam green proudly present themselves as the sweet alternatives to wedding white. However, feminine lace still works wonders, as does a playful touch of broderie anglais.

The beauty world is just as taken by these new tones. It has embraced a childish mood this season (see Meadham Kirchhoff), with cute manicures, pink cheeks and bright pastel eye shadow as well as peachy pink lipstick. This summer is about experimenting with pastels in the sort of way that children experiment with their mother’s makeup.

In Britain, we have numerous reasons to look forward to the summer of 2012; the Queen’s Jubilee and the London Olympics being to most nationally prominent. Sure, bad things will happen too but right now we should look forward to the good things that are to come from the summer days in front of us. After all, summer is synonymous with excitement and happiness so there are plenty of positive things ahead. Perhaps purchasing an optimistic coloured piece for your wardrobe is a good place to start.