Mad for Mauve!
When I featured this mauve coat in a post about color combinations, I hadn’t really thought about how popular the color is this season.
The fashion industry has been touting pink as a big trend for the past several seasons, and this season Pantone (the color experts) is calling it “ballet slipper pink.” It’s a very, very, very light shade of pink, but it seems to hint (to my eye) at being mauve with massive amounts of white added to it.
We’ve discussed it before—extremely light pastels like Ballet Slipper can be very hard to wear for many women, actually most of my clients!
Mauve is a dusty, mid-tone, that’s universally flattering shade, but it can range from the likes of “ballet slipper pink” to a pinky beige, and you’ll also find some mauves, that to my eye, skew more purple than pink. (Pantone has named 56 shades of mauve!) At any rate, designers have added mauve into the mix of their offerings for fall in a big way.
The pinky/purple shade is everywhere in the stores…I’m very happy about it! Universally flattering shades like this are always my best colors, lol!
So how do you wear mauve without feeling like your grandma? (In case you didn’t know, mauve has a big “grandma rep.”)
Here are 3 ways to wear mauve for fall 2017 plus what to avoid
- The best move is to pair mauve with rich tones such as burgundy/wine. Not only is it unexpected, but also it gives the somewhat sweet shade a bit of an edge. Other rich pairings include spruce green or a rich teal.
- Choose highly tailored pieces. There’s no denying Olivia Palermo’s mauve, slim suit is anything but chic!
- A mauve coat, may be “trendy” this season, but invest in a bold, classic, or even retro style, and you’ll be able to rock the color for years!
So…what to avoid in mauve? Saccharine sweet styles and lacy, ruffled pieces can look both young or, eh hem, even matronly unless styled with much effort.
Personally, I love this hue and have it on my fall shopping list.
Now over to you…will you be wearing mauve this fall? Let us know in the comments below!
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