Pretty in Pastel: What colour is your handbag?

Although black or brown handbags have been an enduring staple on the fashion scene, this season, it’s time to brighten up one of the most crucial accessories to a woman with pastels. After all, a handbag has got to be practical, durable and fashionable all at the same time. Pastels are colours that are low in saturation, meaning they look soft and pale. The adjective pastel comes from the art medium with the same name, whose colours are also very soft. Many diversified designers have featured pastel handbags in their collections this year. Italian fashion house Fendi, led by creative director and fashion genius Karl Lagerfeld, designed a simplistic pale orange leather handbag with the Fendi logo pattern for inner lining. For a more feminine look, the house of Lanvin created a petite quilted pale rose handbag with a large floppy bow on the shoulder strap. Jimmy Choo, famous for sky-high heels, opted for a more subdued tone, closer to camel, with an oversized bag, and two large leather straps woven in and out of the top of the purse. All designers crafted beautiful pieces, but it was Jason Wu, the Taiwanese-born American fashion designer, that topped the list. His creation featured a pale yellow envelope style purse with corners detailed as if it were an old fashioned picture and featured a gold chain linked strap. The celebrity fashion scene has picked up this style in full force: particularly during the warmer weather seasons. Jennifer Lawrence, the American actress launched into stardrom by playing Katniss Everdeen in the Hollywood adaptation of The Hunger Games novel by Suzanne Collins, can’t get enough of her Tory Burch blue pastel bag. She has dressed the bag up and down, proving it can go smoothly from day to night. Another fashion icon to watch, the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, has been seen with a variety of pastel handbags, from creams to grays to oranges. And even Claudia Schiffer, one of the most well known super models, chose a taupe pastel purse and paired it with a simple gray sweater and matching pastel woven scarf. To find the best way to show off your newest accessory, follow Claudia Schiffer, and pair it with other soft colours. Pastels will blend with almost any light colored outfit: think mint green dresses, robin’s egg blue blazers, and butter yellow trousers. The pastel handbag is a brilliant way to take a break from your tired, black purse. That’s the fashion scoop for this week. Got a thought? Trend? Style you hate? Send it my way.