By soft greens I mean shades of sage, mint, seafoam, and very light versions of teal. These types of greens are not as earthy as shades of light olive. Some tones are more blue, some more green, and some more grey. Inge likes to wear these types of greens when they aren’t too yellow. In fact, when we met Inge for the first time in Belgium thirteen years ago, she was wearing a column in this soft shade of green, and looked smashing! Lovely with her dark brown hair, hazel eyes, and cool-toned complexion. I have since then called these greens, “Inge’s greens.”
Some find soft greens versatile. They are good worn with tones of each other, and with neutrals like white, black, navy, pearl grey, light charcoal, and denim blue.
I have one item in this colour, and it’s an old seafoam leather jacket. It’s a little more green than the photo, and it’s not my best colour because it lacks a clear and crisp integrity. A saturated light blue version is a more flattering match on my skin tone. But I love it, and simply wear it with clear and crisp colours like white, denim blue, citron, and navy. My red specs liven things up too.
On to some outfit ideas.
1. Column of Colour with Silver
Wearing tones of the same colour is yummy to my eye, especially in more unexpected colours like these soft greens. It allows you to make a strong statement in a subtle way. Here, casual lantern pants are paired with a turtleneck. Super comfy and relaxed. A topper in a similar colour goes over the top. The silver bag and sneakers add a glam and punchy touch, and keep the outfit light.
2. White, Tan and Snakeskin
Here is a dressier version with neutrals and a pattern. White adds a crisp and clear touch to the soft green. Note how well the pattern works with the green topper despite the fact that green is not repeated in the pattern. That’s because the white in the pattern matches the white of the bottoms, which pulls the outfit together. The model’s green eyes that match the green topper helps too. The tan in the pattern is repeated in the tan sandals, toenail polish, and bag, thereby further creating a cohesive look. Elegant.
3. Light Teal
This is a more playfully tailored rendition. Again tonal, but with the addition of a darker toned topper. Combine a soft green top and bottom. A classic button-down is tucked into a pair of on-trend wide crops. A complement of silver sneakers and belt adds magpie shine and keeps the palette light. The swingy cocoon shape of the topper adds an architectural touch. Its volume is tempered by the low contrast of the outfit. I particularly like the pseudo twinset-effect of top and topper. Choose light-coloured boots or loafers if sneakers are not your thing.
4. With Black
Wearing soft greens, or any pastel, with black instantly toughens it up. Creating a column of black with a soft green topper looks particularly fabulous on this black-haired model, with bookended black boots. This is a fab body-con dress. Feel free to create a column of black with components that are to your taste. One of my salt & peppered hair clients chose to wear a casual light grey dress with her soft green topper, and finished things off with white sneakers and a silver bag. She looked delicious! The silver hoops here are a gorgeous trendy classic touch, and match the silver hardware of the jacket.
