How to Wear Pastels

Pastels can feel tricky — too washed out, too sweet, too spring-catalogue. But the right approach makes them look fresh and genuinely wearable year-round, not seasonal or precious.

Don't Match, Mix

Head-to-toe pastel in the same shade is how you end up looking like a bridesmaid. Instead, mix pastel tones — a lavender top with sage pants, a pale pink blazer over a mint green set. The tonal variation keeps the look sophisticated rather than costume-y.

Alternatively, anchor one pastel piece with a sharp neutral. A baby blue blazer over a white tee and dark jeans. A blush skirt with a black top. The contrast gives the pastel piece room to land without competing with itself.

Texture Makes Pastels Feel Less Delicate

Soft color in a soft fabric can start to feel too gentle. Adding texture — a linen blazer, a ribbed knit, a structured leather piece in the same family — gives a pastel look more backbone. A pale caramel leather jacket over a soft pink dress is the move.

Which Pastels Work for You

Warm skin tones: peachy pinks, buttery yellow, soft coral, warm lavender. Cool skin tones: baby blue, mint, lilac, icy pink. Neutral undertones have the most flexibility and can experiment across the full pastel range.

If a pastel shade makes you look washed out or tired, it's probably not in the right family for your undertone — try a different version. A dusty rose is very different from a bubblegum pink.

Year-Round, Not Just Spring

Pastels read completely differently in fall and winter when you swap to heavier fabrics and pair them with earthy neutrals. A pale sage green sweater in wool with brown trousers and cognac boots. A dusty pink knit layered under a camel coat. Don't retire your pastels in September.

Shop sweaters and knits and matching sets — both categories work especially well in pastel colorways.