Within the pale

SOMETIMES childhood experience can have a lasting impact. Growing up in the 1980s, I had a lot of experience of pastels. There were pastel ra-ra skirts, pastel tights, pastel jeans, and pastel Confirmation outfits. In fact, my Confirmation was spent in a lemon trouser-suit. I had strawberry blonde hair and pale freckly skin, and I thought lemon was a good look. I had a lot to learn.

But this summer, pastels are a major story, for all the right reasons. Most of the big fashion designers went for a super-pretty sunny pastel look — Miu Miu, Marc Jacobs, Oscar de la Renta, Louis Vuitton and Mulberry.

And in beauty it’s the same. A matte, chalky pastel hue is pushing through as a big trend. If you’re after a statement, then you can max it out with Dusty Springfield-style chalky pink lips — if you’re feeling more demure, you can dust on a little lilac eyeshadow.