Fashion Forward: Pastels spring back into style

The fashion industry is one that constantly evolves and pushes different boundaries. On the personal level, the world of fashion is also open to interpretation, giving individuals a chance to reflect their personal style. Columnists Alexis Williams and Aubrey Yeo look at different topics in fashion and find out what keeps fashion moving forward at UCLA. This week, they will look at the spring awakening of pastels.

There’s something about pastels that brings about a feeling of springtime.

Maybe it’s how the colors are reminiscent of flowers, or maybe the more metaphorical approach of how the colors seem to be the midway point of pale winter whites and the bright colors of summer.

Pastels introduce new perspectives on color. They’re a great way for someone to wear colors like orange, pink or yellow without being forced to subscribe to their definitions of being bold colors. On the other hand, the pale colors also create a soothing presence not often found in other types of colors.

The unsaturated look and feel of pastels work best by either color-blocking with other pastels or pairing them with light neutrals like white or tan. I wouldn’t say it’s impossible, but I’d avoid matching pastel colors with black, or anything too dark or full of color. Third-year economics student Chris Pham agrees – he said he prefers pairing lighter khakis over darker jeans for spring.

When it comes to my personal take on pastels, I like how I can use them to my advantage to wear a tamer version of a color. I’m a proponent of men wearing pink, but that’s not a universal agreement. The pastel pink shirt I bought from ASOS lets me ease into the color without going for an in-your-face hot pink look. Slap on a pair of white pants, and I’ve got a ready-made outfit.

– Aubrey Yeo

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Almost exactly a year and a half ago to the date, a model walked down Jason Wu’s runway at Mercedez-Benz Fashion Week donning a full-length, sea foam trench and matching textured dress underneath.

Four days later, another model took to Prabal Gurung’s runway in a pastel blue T-shirt dress.

And finally, the trend was solidified when Rebecca Taylor showcased her pink and blue pastel blazers and trousers during her own New York Fashion Week show. The trend of Spring 2014 was, undoubtedly, pastel.

And after seeing fashion icons like Kylie and Kendall Jenner and Bella Thorne embrace pastels throughout the season, it just makes sense that they deserve to be featured yet again this spring.

Inherently, their light colors make them versatile and easy to pair. Most any structured pastel piece works flawlessly with nudes, creams, whites or blacks, and they can be paired with almost any type of jewelry for a finished look. Blake Lively’s look – pastel pink trousers paired with a nude crop top and pastel blue chunky necklace – looks effortless, and truly is simple to put together.

First-year psychology student Nicholas Proano embraces the simple side of pastels as Lively does. Proano paired light shorts with a pale pink Ralph Lauren polo shirt. By keeping his bottoms neutral, Proana highlights the color of his polo and keeps the spotlight on the spring pastel look.

When wearing all pastels, either with a floor-length gown like Lupita Nyong’o’s Prada gown for the 2014 Oscars or just coordinating two pastel pieces in different colors, the effect is deliberate and gorgeous, although it is important to remember balance. The easiest ways to incorporate contrast are hair and makeup. Pastels naturally contrast against deeper hair colors, but for blondes like me, it’s important to be more bold with our makeup application to avoid looking washed out.

When I finally break out my spring pastels, I usually like to push the trend as far as I can, and wear two contrasting pastel pieces. I tend to go for light pastel crop tops or blouses and pair them with high-waisted skirts or shorts with bold patterns and nude accessories to liven things up while still remaining versatile and classy.

– Alexis Wiliams