How to wear pink

I do not know about your current state of mind, but for me it is kind of difficult to see “la vie en rose this times.

That said “dressing in pink” could be an interesting alternative isn’t it?

Lots of women forget this color when they grow up because they barbie-overdosed as children.

Yet this is a shame because pink instantly brings joy to an outfit and enhances your complexion.

This year, there was a lot of bubble-gum and pale pinks on the runways.

I’ll help you get this trend into your wardrobe with some advices.

I/Fifty shades of pink

When some hear pink, the barbie shades area lighten up in their cortex.

Bright, cold pinks that feel very much synthetic and flatter few skins.

rose-barbie

Yet there are so much pretty shades!

Start with a sophisticated texture: it’ll make any color look way more refined.

rose-bonbon

Add some white or grey into the mix and the pink will feel like it belongs to a very chic haussmanian appartement.

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Aida Ricciardello

Add some yellow and it will feel warmer and cosier.

rose-the

And then there is this lovely shade called Thulian pink that is difficult to describe <3

rose-balais

Try to go for colors that feel unusual, it’ll make you stand out.

II/ What colors with pink? 

1. Whites, beiges and greys

As usual neutral colors are an excellent option for those who want to remain discreet.

With soft pinks, I recommend pale neutrals in order to create a mild contrast.

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Paul Smith

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Tibi

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Prada

Beware of brighter pinks that may create a sharp contrast.

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Paul Smith

2. Greens

As the complementary color of pink, green is a perfect match when you create gentle mixes.

Tea rose is perfect with fresh green shades.

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A Detacher

Or sage green.

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Paul Smith

Next to olive green, carnation pink looks more sophisticated.

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Gucci

Me too <3

3. Jaunes

Mustard yellow makes light salmon pink look warmer and cosier.

rose-peche

Rose pink softens the acidity of lemon yellow.

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Rochas

And tea rose calms down the electricity of chartreuse yellow.

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Creatures of comfort

4. Greenish-yellow

That may sound strange to create a category to this very specific color but it has been seen a lot on the latest runways AND it has the funniest french translation : caca d’oie which literally means “goose shit”.

Quite unlikely, rose pink create a fresh contrast with this color.

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Aalto

And salmon yellow makes it look refined.

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Rochas

5. Khaki

Thulian pink adds femininity to those camouflage shades.

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Topshop unique

6. Turquoise

In between blue and green, turquoise is a great complement to pink.

Beware though, if you wear equal amounts of bright pink and turquoise you may look like a real life barbie. If you are not Issey Miyake, I recommend you to choose one of those to be the dominant color.

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Issey Miyake

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Max Mara

7. Blues

This super classic mix wasn’t used a lot in the latest shows.

To be stylish, I recommend that, if one of the colors is very bright, the second shall be pale or dark in order to balance.

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Delpozo (and yes the green is also amazing in this mix)

8. Red

A bright red lighten soft pinks.

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Isabel Marant

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Valentino

Think of burgundy, just as beautiful and more sultry.

9. Purples

Choosing dark purple will make you ressemble a gentlewoman rather than a polly pocket.

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Nina Ricci

When you go for pale, greyish shades, you obtain a somewhat evanescent style.

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Rochas (focus on the socks and skirt then admire the perfect overall mix)

10. Noir

Black and pink can create a color clash that lacks some subtlety.

I often recommend my clients to avoid wearing some “summery pink top” with their winter office pants.

Yet if the fabric of the pink is rich like velvet, cashmere, wool or silk, this is a very nice mix.

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Monse

11. Brown

Brown and pink look delicious together, just like a chocolate cake with a raspberry topping.

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Valentino

12. Pinks

We have just seen that there were so many shades of pinks…that you could mix in just one outfit.

The key is to remain subtle.

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Paul Smith

III/ Make pink unexpected

We tend to use pink for feminine or girly styles.

Yet, when worn with androgynous clothes and rock hair, it gains attitude.

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Max Mara

You can inspire from all the above outfit to make your pink look unexpected.

Pink shopping

Baby doll minimalist nude pink dress + bottines noires rock

Tea rose blazer

Tea rose sweater

Tea rose shirt

Tea rose sneakers

And you? How do you wear pink? 

Cover collage: Unknown, Paul Smith

Comments
16 Responses to “How to wear pink”
  1. MABdeParis says:

    Toujours un régal absolu, ces posts sur les couleurs: je viens de relire celui-ci et découvrir celui sur les verts. Si inspirant et juste!
    Merci

  2. Angie says:

    I love your blog, especially your posts on color! I got a lot of insight from you on how to wear rust color. I have always avoided pinks, considering them too girly for me. But recently, I discovered that my correct color palette is what is being called a Soft Summer, which is all about the color rose (my complexion is naturally rosy). Your examples above are beautiful! Thank you for all the ideas — Angie

  3. Manderley says:

    Une decoratrice francaise celebre a dit un jour :”le rose est le bleu marine de l’Inde”

  4. Doreen says:

    Hi Alois. Love your blog. I can’t remember the last time I wore pink, but you have made me curious to try it again. Thanks for all the advice on how to wear it with style!

  5. Claire says:

    Génial !
    Et je suis d’accord avec vous, le look Rochas est d’une magnifique harmonie “colorielle” !
    Vous pourriez même faire (encore et toujours) un renvoi sur vos posts “pourquoi je ne crois pas à la règle des trois couleurs…” 😉

    • Aloïs Guinut says:

      Mais oui! Et dire que ce sont mes lectrices qui me rappellent ce que je devrais faire pour optimiser mon référencement: ahlala ^^

      • V says:

        Exactement ….dans mon cas j’avais eu LE déclic avec ce post https://dresslikeaparisian.com/fr/comment-porter-mon-manteau-rose-pale/…et comme j’adore le rose, j’ai réussi à l’acquérir dans différentes teintes : fuschia ( pull manches longues ), framboise ( chemise fluide sans manches ), rose pâle ( tee-shirt et cardigan) et rose thé (manteau oversize + chemise à motifs) …et en quête d’ un rose Malabar.
        Du coup, je le couple comme certaines de tes associations ; une fondue de roses ( en camaïeu), violet, bleu glacier, bleu roi, rouge et Bordeaux ( depuis peu), moutarde, kaki , neutres ( gris, Marine et doré …pas de noir ).

        Déclics, inspirations ….Merci pour tout ces posts ( en mode bilingue) clairs, concis, parfaitement illustrés avec des femmes (blanches, noires, métissées, asiatiques ….) menues (ou pas), grandes comme petites… auxquelles chacune d’entre nous peut s’identifier sans peine.

        Une excellente soirée

  6. vivien_noir says:

    I was really biased towards rosy shades, have always been, and never thought this was about to Change – but you made me Change my point of view!
    I always avoid(ed) pink for its softness and femininity or barbie-/bombshell-ity, and I only own three light rose items I hardly ever wear. Still, it suits me and my super light complexion, which is why I still keep them.
    I like them paired in a more hard-edged way, which is why I always pair my rose Sweatshirt with green Camouflage Pants.
    Thanks for the notes on different colour combinations – I’ve been struggling with how to wear my rose skirt for a while, and hadn’t found a satisfying way yet. I always tried black, but when it’s not transparent (so it basically blends into a brownish hue when worn with Skin-coloured tops underneath) it never quite looked “right” – totally different when Chanel does it!
    Now I feel motivated to Play around with it again…

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