•  How to wear pastels with sophistication, without being mistaken for a fairy from lala land…

• Put on your sunglasses and pump up the neon – statement pieces so bright they practically glow, even in day

Do pastel rainbow colours and neon brights deserve a place in your wardrobe?

Have you noticed all the sugar-sweet gelato pastel colours turning up in shops recently? And when you walk past your local fashion store, do you have to reach for your sunglasses to protect you from the super vibrant, ultra fluro yellows, orange, cyan and neon pinks in the shop windows?

If you’ve got a sweet-tooth like me, or are an inner romantic at heart, you’ll love the current choice of gentle pastel colours in all hues of the rainbow – mint green, delicate lemon yellow, baby blue, pastel pink…especially with all the fun and floaty skirt and dress options.

My tips for keeping pastels sophisticated?

1. Ensure the pastels don’t wash you out, or drain your face of colour! This can happen, especially if you have deep rich colouring in your skintone, hair and eye colour.
2. Dress to suit the contrast level of your natural skintone, hair and eye colouring. For example, if you need high contrast, then don’t dress head-to-toe in pastel. Mix a pastel top with deeper contrasting colours in your outfit, such as jeans, a cardigan or skirt. On the other hand, someone with low/medium contrast might look great in head-to-toe pastel combination in single or multi-colour outfits.
3. Not sure? Stick to pastel accessories such as a necklace, scarf or a pale pastel belt to dress up your usual pants, skirt or dress. Pastels can create a professional work look when teamed with darker suits (grey, black, navy, chocolate). Or wear with your best light neutrals (white, cream, stone) for a light, delicate and sophisticated ethereal look.

If you’re looking for some electric energy, then injecting a tiny amount of neon brights into your wardrobe should do just the trick! But proceed with caution…

1. Neon brights are truly attention grabbing, so wherever you decide to wear it, will be the centre of attention!
2. If you have bright colouring, then this is your time to glow…fashion colours rarely get brighter than this! Wear one colour, or combine with other neon bright hues if you dare! If you have warm colouring, go for neon oranges, yellows and lime greens. If you have cool colouring, you’ll probably want to stick to neon pink or cyan.
3. To notch up the pizzazz of an outfit, add some neon shoes, a clutch purse, or a neon belt to accentuate your waist… or even neon nail polish! It’s a look that communicates on trend playfulness and guaranteed to add an energy buzz to your day!

Embrace the colour – it’s a breath of fresh pastel mint and super zesty citrus neon bursts. Don’t be afraid to experiment and play with this trend… though do keep your trusty neutrals handy!