Soft pinks are trending in most wardrobe items, like they do almost every Spring. Pastels have their pros and cons, so you either enjoy wearing them or you don’t. Wearing pale pink in specific wardrobe items, and styling them in specific ways can create the correct outfit mood for you. You might prefer wearing pale pink on the bottom instead of on top, or vice versa. You might prefer soft pink in patterns rather than solids. Or you enjoy wearing soft pink shoes and accessories best of all.

These outfits show the versatility of soft pink, and specifically, how well the pastel remixes with stronger colours to create a high contrast. Creating a high contrast is one way to prevent feeling “washed out” when wearing pastels.

1. Yellow

A soft pink oversized patterned shirt is pattern mixed with a high contrast yellow and pink floral on the same garment. The shirt’s yellow collar adds high contrast too. The swingy top is worn over high contrast blue barrel jeans. White hi-tops add a sporty touch. A white or tan bag would complete the look.

Some soft pink and lemon combinations. The pink on the left is brighter although the visual effect is soft.

2. Red

Soft pinks work well with bright and dark reds. Here, a bright red collared top is paired with a pair of wide soft pink trousers. A chocolate animal print belt and chocolate sandals match the chocolate blazer that tops the lot. Add a bag that works with the palette.

Soft pinks work well with deep reds like merlot, wine, maroon and raisin.

3. Brown

Soft pinks are lovely with mid-tone browns like biscuit, toffee, caramel, whiskey, cognac, gingerbread and cinnamon. Here, a soft pink, chocolate and cream paisley patterned dress is combined with an oversized pinstriped toffee blazer. A chocolate bag co-ordinates with chocolate in the patterns. A soft pink cardigan draped over the bag is a topper alternative to the jacket. Black sandals match the model’s hair. Sandals in a shade of brown would work well too.

4. Grey

Soft pinks are a classic pairing with greys, and a combination that takes me back to the ’80s. Here, the outfit on the left is from ME + EM, which combines light wash blue jeans with a soft pink top, and a grey and cream houndstooth Spring tweed jacket. Snakeskin flats in greys and creams pattern mix perfectly with the jacket. The outfit on the right is from Lucky Brand, which combines a soft pink tulle skirt with a grey sweater, chocolate harness boots, and a chocolate studded moto jacket. The hard-edged jacket and boots create a fab bit of tension with the floating ballerina-esque skirt.

5. Black

Last, a ’90s inspired version that combines a soft pink full skirt with a dressy short black buttoned-up jacket, black opaque tights, and chunky heeled black patent loafers. The black adds hard edge to the soft pink full skirt thereby toughening it up. Add jewellery, watch and bag as desired.

This top picks assortment is for Team Belts, which is a small and meaningful team. If you wear belts, you’ll appreciate how effectively they finish off an outfit, add polish to a look, and pull a look together. They hold up bottoms that are too big on the waist too. Personally, I find belts an effective styling tool because I like to tuck and semi-tuck tops. Filled belt loops look complete.

Belts don’t need to match your shoes and/or bag, although it’s a good guide to follow. There are belts that work well with jeans and trousers, and belts that are better over skirts and dresses. Click through the styles to view other colours.

Shout out to Anthropologie for keeping their prices more affordable, and for offering beautiful quality belts that are made in Portugal. I’m refreshing wardrobe essentials, and bought the Notched Square Buckle Belt in cream, and the Geometric Cut-Out Belt is in white. These belts are more ornate than I typically wear, yet felt like giving them a go. Glad I did! Both are in full rotation, and I’m enjoying the change.

The Rag ‘n Bone X Boyfriend Belt comes in a rare metallic pewter. The J.Crew Grommet Belts come in a rare blue-toned red with silver hardware, and burgundy with gold hardware. Web Belts and canvas belts can look great with sneakers and espadrilles. And last, if you don’t like the visual effect of a belt, but need to keep pants and jeans from falling, there’s the comfortable and streamlined No Show Stretch Belt. It lies flat and is invisible under tops.

We see pastels in fashion every Spring and Summer. As per my trends post, celery green, pistachio, buttery yellow, pale pink, and light blue are the pastels of the moment. Combining light blue with buttery pale yellow, white, and earthy browns is particularly on trend. Of course, feel free to wear pastels like lilac, peach, and mint green if those are more to your liking. 

Pastels can look fresh, light, airy, romantic, calming, and pretty, especially after lots of wintery darks and heavy clothing. Pastels instantly soften an outfit, add a charming and graceful quality, and are an entry point to wearing a particular colour. They are less of a commitment than wearing brights, thereby adding interest without the intensity. Pastels are an effective component of tonal dressing, where soft hues are remixed with darker ones to create a cohesive palette. Pastels add playful tension when remixed with dark colours. They also pair well with neutrals like white, cream, tan, navy, toffee, whiskey, chocolate, grey, and blue denim.

On the other hand, because pastels lack depth they can wash you out and drain your complexion. The visual effect feels flat rather than fresh. Pastels can look overly sweet, faded, or child-like. If you like wearing bold, high-energy outfits, pastels may feel too subdued. They also don’t have the punch of brights or the drama of darks.

Here are styling tips to make pastels work, should you want to wear them:

1. Add high contrast to the outfit with navy, charcoal, chocolate, or black. Or wear them with brights.
2. Combine pastels with crisp white for a clean and modern vibe.
3. Choose saturated pastels over more watery and dusty ones if you need more brightness.
4. Wear pastels on your bottom half if they wash you out near your face.
5. Wear pastels in structured and tailored items to offset softness and to look more “grown-up”.

6. Anchor pastel pieces with a hard-edged or “tough” element like leather, hardware, chunky footwear, and dark colours.

I’m a bright colour person at heart, and thoroughly enjoy pretty pastels. My pastels of choice are pale pink and light blue. I don’t wear other pastels. My favourite eyewear of all time is a saturated light blue, and I have pale pink specs that I frequently wear too. I adore very light wash blue jeans, pale pink clothes, and light blue shirts. I find light blue and pale pink bags useful styling tools because they add an unexpected element. I used to have pastel shoes to match the bags, and miss them. They’re on my shopping list. The pastel pink scarf is a great match with my pink eyewear. Here’s my current collection of pastels.

As for styling pastels, I follow the first five of my own suggestions. A saturated pastel works best of all. I wear pastels with brights, navy, and crisp white or cream to create contrast. I wear them as accessories and shoes too. If the right light blue and pale pink wool coats find me at some point, I’ll welcome them to my outerwear capsule.

Over to you. Do you wear pastels, and if so, which are your favourites? How do you style them?

Twenty years ago yesterday, youlookfab.com went live with my first post. Hubs Greg and I plus our Yorkies Jasmine and Rosie were relatively new in the US, and finding our way. We had moved to Seattle from France a couple of years before. Two decades later, YLF is a steadfast and well-oiled machine. A small blog turned into a large and engaged social community that exceeded my expectations. I can barely believe that I’m an OG blogger who is still doing her thing and enjoying it.

Many people have heard the story that when Greg suggested I start a blog about fashion and style, I replied, “Okay! What’s a blog?”. It was the early days of blogging, and YLF was one of the first of its kind. We brainstormed the name, and Greg designed and built the site.

Eighteen months in YLF, it was Greg’s brilliant idea to add a forum, which immediately jumped into life with the wonderful community that was forming around the blog. It was his idea to create Finds, which is an indispensable wardrobe maintenance and shopping tool. YLF was Greg’s affectionate and loyal labour of love. Without him, YLF would not exist. Words cannot adequately express my gratitude for his incredible hard work, creativity, perfectionism, high standards, and dedication. YLF holds a special place in my heart because the most special person in my life created it for me.

The launch of the forum was an inflection point for YLF. I think it’s a unique spot on the internet. Thoughtful, kind, clever, constructive, and supportive. In a world where online spaces can feel loud, public and fleeting, this community has remained generous, respectful, and deeply engaged. Many of you have been here for years, even decades. You’ve shared your wardrobes, milestones, challenges, and triumphs. You’ve supported one another with insight and warmth. That is rare, and I do not take it for granted.

The forum drew wonderful Belgian beauty Inge to YLF eighteen years ago. Inge politely contacted me privately asking if she could join the forum even though she wasn’t American and lived in Antwerp. I replied, OF COURSE. And mentioned that I wasn’t American either. Inge is Dutch-speaking, and so am I. We clicked immediately. So much so, that we met in Belgium the next time I was in Europe. It was the start of a long-lasting friendship. We asked Inge to work for YLF, which she did wonderfully for thirteen years. We’ve met many times in the Netherlands, Belgium, England, and Seattle. We don’t see each other in person often, but when we do, we spend quality time together, which counts for a lot. We’ve met each other’s families and friends, and chat daily. My close friendship with Inge is one of my favourite things to have come out of YLF, and I treasure it.

There are many, many more things I love about YLF, and its diverse, global following is one of them. I can travel to just about anywhere and meet up with a Fabber. There have been gatherings across the globe, and there will be many more. I’ve made many FABULOUS friends through YLF and my work as a personal stylist. These friends enrich my life daily in countless ways, and some I’ve known for twenty years. I’m thankful for their amazing presence in my life.

Our Yorkie team, Jasmine, Rosie, Sam, and Jo, were and are a huge part of YLF. Always close by as I worked, walked, and thought through posts. They brought a sense of routine, comfort, and perspective to the process. They’ve been loyal companions on daily city walks and photoshoots, constant sources of joy, and gentle reminders to pause and appreciate the moment. Many of you have come to know them through the site, and their presence has added a personal animal-loving layer to YLF that goes beyond style. In their special doggie way, they’ve helped shape the rhythm and heart of these past twenty years.

At this big milestone I’m excited to announce that I’m publishing my first book.

In my daily dialogue with in-person clients and members of the YLF community, certain truths kept resurfacing. Great style is about understanding yourself, knowing that small details make a big difference, and recognizing that simplicity, comfort, and authenticity always win. I started collecting the practical tips, mindset shifts, and emotional insights that have helped thousands of people find their own version of fab. Short, digestible insights that you can use immediately, reflect upon, and remember for later. These are things that I believe will transcend fashion cycles, and have the power to shape how we express ourselves every day through personal style. I called them Style Nuggets.

Style Nuggets: Practical Inspiration for Everyday Style is being printed and will be ready to purchase in hardcover and paperback soon. Stay tuned for details.

As we celebrate twenty years, I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude. Thank you for reading. Thank you for engaging. Thank you for trusting me with your style journeys. You are what makes YLF an extraordinary social community. Thank you for your insightful, compassionate, intelligent, thoughtful and amusing contributions, from which I learn, reflect, and grow as a person. Whether you’ve been here since the early days or joined more recently, you are part of what makes YLF what it is. My goal remains the same: to help you cut through the noise and find what works for YOU.

Here’s to continuing the conversations, refining our styles, and finding joy and purpose in getting dressed every day. Happy 20th Anniversary, YLF!