Well, spring is finally here and, if you’re like me, it’s time to ditch the boring grey sweatshirts and tees for some COLOR!
Color has always been an important part of my wardrobe. I remember being a very naive 22-year-old moving to New York City in 1992 to go to school at the Fashion Institute of Technology. When I arrived from Ohio with my non-rolling suitcase full of bright, chunky sweaters and colorful shoes, I immediately got “the look” on the streets from all the head-to-toe, black-clad locals. I was literally asked, “You’re not from here are you?” on multiple occasions. Maybe I didn’t look like a true New Yorker in those first days, but I honestly think it was my brightly patterned clothes that gave it away. Some people would have been taken aback by those looks and comments and gone the route of trying to blend in better, but not me. Being the fashionista that I was, I didn’t give it a thought. I wasn’t going to change my look for anyone. I’ve always embraced color. It’s so expressive, so fun, so visual. Maybe it’s because I’m a creative person. Maybe it’s the Latina in me (we know that color is definitely embraced by our culture). I’m not sure. All I know is that I’m ready to come out of this pandemic grey fog and enjoy some color. I’ll bet that spring 2021 will find A LOT of New Yorkers ditching their uniform black clothes for something fun and different, too! So let’s get started with some of the season’s trendiest colors. First of all, did you know that Illuminating, a soothing yellow found in nature and Ultimate Grey are Pantone’s 2021 colors of the year?
Interesting considering they’re such polar opposites, but I think for those who are still living in their grey sweats, adding just a little pop of Illuminating yellow or an even brighter neon yellow is the simplest way to add some sunshine to those boring lounge wardrobes and give us a feeling of optimism. The grey is definitely a grounding color and can be used as a great base to pop all of these fun new colors against.
The palettes here are what are being touted as spring’s newest statement colors. They’re super playful and fun. Many of them take their cues from nature’s flowers, greenery, sunshine, seas and minerals. They all give us that feeling of being outdoors and escaping our four walls that we’ve been locked in throughout the winter. I know I just want to smile and breathe a big sigh of happiness looking at them.
Not only in theory, many of these vibrant hues were injected throughout all the spring collections. The hues were varied, but there were definitely some inspiring and stellar standouts that you’ll want to incorporate into your wardrobe and accessories.
Clockwise starting at the top left:
• If you’re up to it, combine and contrast fun colors like bubble gum pink and minty green together (and, yes, go the extra mile with colorful accessories).
• Lime green never looked so good dressed down in shorts with chunky boots or dressed up in ethereal goddess layers. Color speaks all languages and has no barriers to entry whether it’s active sportswear, flirty dresses, accessories, shoes, etc.
• Bubble gum pink in tones. Yep, you can mix shades of one color all together in an outfit
• Illuminating yellow in a head-to-toe modern pantsuit. I talked about the power of the pantsuit in my last fashion article. It’s trending for 2021 especially with some powerful political street cred from Kamala Harris. Take note of the contrast lime tee underneath and the easy wear shoes. There’s no need for heels.
•If you’re really up to it, go for the brass ring by mixing bold stripes and floral prints. These patterns incorporate almost every single one of the season’s newest statement colors. There are no boundaries to what you can pair together.
• Bold magenta in another trending silhouette for 2021: the vest! For those of you who also just want to experiment with a bit of color, everything else in your ensemble can be basic black.
• A super hot spring trend are mules and slides. We’re ditching the high heels, making our feet happy in easy wear slides. They’re the next best thing to graduate from your comfy slippers that you’ve been living in now for the past 12 months. In colors like this juicy orange, they’re even more fun to wear.
I hope you won’t be timid and steer away from color this season. Color is a mood lifter and speaks volumes before you even say a word. You can’t go wrong mixing and matching colors, especially this season when everyone is craving a change, inspired to be out in nature and feeling the optimism and enthusiasm of not only a shot in the arm of the COVID-19 vaccine but also a shot to the system of color.
Related Content:
Time to Think about Fashion in a Post-Pandemic Era
How the Pandemic has Changed NYFW and the Fashion Industry
