.021 PASTEL DELICACIES

I am not going to lie. I am quite surprised to see that pastel is finding its way on the runway. The trend has fallen in and out of the fashion world's favor. Pastel, in my opinion, is a bottom-up trend. The creamy, playful color palette has its foundations in the spring of 2010. I remember seeing a few pastel colored accessories here and there at the start of 2010. That summer, I started painting my nails turquoise and fell in love with lilac (arguably, still my favorite color). Stores like H&M, Forever 21, and the like picked up on the trend and it seemed to have been blacklisted because of this. Or maybe not. In spring of 2012 pastel came back to life and the familiar purples, pinks, oranges, etc., were popular again. Celebrities dyed their hair lilac and lipsticks ranging in all sorts of Easter-egg-inspired colors were deemed "cool."

(I think the Jennfier Lawrence photo is a manip, but you get my point.)

In the background of all of this, pastel became a word to define a subculture started on Tumblr. Pastel goth, pastel princess, etc., became the new buzzwords. Pixels, cute animals, and fonts dripping with pinks and purples started to dominate Tumblr's dashboards. The trend took a lot of its inspiration from Tokyo's lolita street fashion that had been popular for awhile in the quieter subcultures of the internet. Soon anime became "hip" and Japanese culture may have become more or less glorified (Appropriation? Yeah, I think so.). I found myself locked in this trend, very briefly, thank you. You can see me in my 2011 pastel glory here. Anyways, I digress. Just understand that the trend was simultaneously on the runway and thriving as an internet culture. Whether the runway inspired the internet kids or vice-versa, I could not tell you.

(Photo credit: Deviantart.com - Pastel goth fashion to an extreme.)

So now that I have the basics covered, I will begin to talk about the reemergence of pastel. The online trend of pastel is still alive, albeit criticism and an overall tackiness attributed to the trend but a majority of the online community. Outside of the blog-o-sphere, pastel is finding a revival in a new way. Rather than sticking to color blocking and pastel colored jeans (see photo below), pastel is being shown in a new light; pastel is now less about structured basic and is instead about being girly in cerulean and salmon. Rather than looking like it is 1990 and you are sporting Grannimals, this time around, pastel is looking to jump into the millennium. 

(See what I mean about the matchy-matchy of 2010-2012?)

(Photo Credit: DailyMailUK - Note the darker hue of Orla Kiely's pastels.)

(Photo Credit: Fashionista - Note how the pastel sweater is paired with cerulean Patone's color 2001)

The fashion world is looking towards pastel as an accent, paired with darker hues and monochromatic ensembles, as opposed to the pastel-on-pastel trends of the past. One pastel item seems to be enough now whether it be a sweater, crop top, or a pair of sunglasses. Pastel hair is making a comeback as well and in new volumes.

(Chloe Nørgaard has always had wonderful hair. As of late she has sported a pastel look. Fashionista.)

I love the idea of pastel in moderation, especially as a hair trend or an accent to an outfit. I absolutely love this feature on Topshop. The pieces in this collection are subtle, easy to wear, and fresh in concept. I am thinking I might temporarily dye my hair lilac in the future and the idea of a massive pink coat sounds appealing. Will I don the pastel princess crown once again? No, no I will not. Below is how I would sport this fashion trend:

teen lovers by seaminor featuring lips makeup

.011 ORCHID DREAMS

Before I start talking about the newest fashion trend, I want to give a shout out to those dealing with this insufferable winter cold. It is -3 degrees Fahrenheit and not even my warmest of winter goodies can keep me warm. Truly a tragedy. Honestly, I wonder what kept me in Minneapolis in the first place because the weather could not have possibly been it. I have on my American Apparel infinity scarf, my camel Carhartt hat, the infamous Anthropologie faux fur coat, a Banana Republic wool sweater, and some warm hiking boots I snagged from my local Goodwill. I would take an OOTD but my face is disgustingly dry and red and my eyes demand more sleep. Needless to say, I look a mess this morning. Goddamn you, Minnesota.

Looking forward to Spring and getting out of this Freeze Miser hell, I woke up this morning and caught a trend report on Fashionista about the latest SS14 trend: orchid. Whispers in the fashion wind (a thing, I guess) spoke of such a trend and as for how exactly such a color would look, I did not know. Drum roll please...

Bam and boom goes the dynamite (ah, yes, my humor never left 2005). Here is Pantone's color of the year, a color a plebeian such as myself would have called lilac.

Fashionista did an excellent little Polyvore-esque photo displaying how exactly the color looks on clothing and makeup. Honestly? I am hardly one for color, especially in shades of purple or pink. My life tends to lean towards black or darker shades of clothing. In fact, I am actually selling a sweater in this exact color. 

Okay, I might even want to try a little of this shade on my eyelids. The color reminds me of a spaghetti strap tank I had in second grade (back when I lived in a world of vibrancy as opposed to a world of cynical darkness). The tank top had a bit of that Millennium sheen and there was a 99% chance the top was better suited for a prom dance floor.

If I happen upon this color in Sephora or MAC, I will update you all on my experience. Knowing my complexion, this could fail horribly (so about being a cynic...). I might even be daring enough to try the shade on my lips. Who knows?