How to Wear Spring Pastels Without Looking Childish

Although pastels are far from a new addition to the roster of spring shades, they can be among the trickiest to wear. Long synonymous with childlike innocence (one often finds the word “baby” in these colors’ names), pastels can end up recalling Easter egg palettes, giving cotton candy connotations, or oozing saccharine femininity. But for spring 2025, designers gave these soft shades a sharp edge. On the runways at Alaïa, Chloé, Prada, and Bally, pastels were styled with purpose. When layered tonally, grounded by neutrals, worked into crisp suiting, or used to punctuate bolder colors, pastels take on a fresh, modern appeal. It’s a look that feels grown-up, not girlish. Below, our guide to wearing pastels with polish—no sugar rush required.

Mix Pastels with Soft Neutrals

At Alaïa and The Row, the sweetness of a pastel skirt or trousers is offset by nudes and grays.

Contrast Pastels With Bold Colors

Bold, unexpected color pairings—like the blue-and-orange combination we saw at Prada—pull pastels out of cute territory, and into the land of the cool.

Just Add Trousers...

When in doubt, a tailored pair of suiting trousers will make a pastel feel office-appropriate.

...Or a Bit of Black

Surround a prim pastel with black, the ultimate anchor when it comes to tricky hues.

Go Tonal

Take a page out of the Chloé playbook and pair your pastel with tonal colors in darker shades for a soft, monochromatic look.

Pair Pastels and Prints

For those who love a pattern, Dries Van Noten’s are often among the most sophisticated, even in pastel shades.