A Shank Bone to Pick with Easter and Pastels

 

Only in recent years have I grown to like Easter. When I was a kid, here’s how the day went: get bribed with candy to go to church in some weird flowy, long dress with a matching hat, eat a ham dinner with the family, and then totally die from gorging myself on ham, only to be resurrected the next day by cartoons and leftover candy.

And that’s what I thought Easter was all about!

But now that I’ve been bat mitzvah’d (we celebrate Jewish and Catholic holidays) I can dress myself, I don’t have to go to church, and I don’t have to eat ham BUT I still get candy, so the holiday is now, finally, pretty sweet. Instead, the fam goes to brunch and I loiter over by the Belgian waffle table.

What I’ve realized is this:

Easter is about pastel(s).

The only difference between them is each word’s first and last letters (SG note: Mind. Blown.). It’s not so much that I don’t like pastels, but I look ABSOLUTELY WRETCHED in them. It’s not even their fault – the season just comes at a bad time. Because by the end of the winter season, my warm, olive complexion is sallow from lack of sun, and everything pale makes me look even more pale. It goes even further than washing me out…it hangs me out to dry.

On all other holidays I love to wear bright, saturated colors, but on Easter I just want to wear pastels like everyone else.

Is that so much to ask?

I did wear a pastel yellow dress last year but, despite my effort, I just looked silly. So I’ve reserved the right to not wear pastels on Easter, and just accept my fate as the girl who wears saturated colors while everyone else wears pastels.

How many people here have felt personally victimized by pastels?

I’ll never get to be an Easter egg (my absolute favorite way to eat eggs) but that doesn’t mean you can’t! Maybe you went on Spring Break to a tropical location and you’re still rocking a tan, that means YOU CAN wear pastels proudly. Or maybe you’re at one of the extremes – dark complexion or blue-blood pale - YOU CAN wear pastels. Or maybe you have pink undertones instead of yellow, YOU CAN wear pastels. Take one for the team (me) and get ALL DECKED OUT in as many shades of pastel as possible.

It is a holiday, so you should definitely get a little extra dressed up. Break in your new saddle shoes or a pair of white oxfords. Wear a festive tie or even a bow tie. Find one that represents all the best parts of spring: flowers, baby animals, the sun, anything!

Shirt: J.Crew, $65

Pants: Uniqlo, $40

Tie: Michael Andrews Bespoke $60

Shoes: Johnston & Murphy, $135

Belt: PGA Tour, $30

OR if you’re like me and pastels don’t do you any favors, go bright! If there is a right time to wear copious amounts of color, it’s Easter, and there’s nothing wrong with standing out a little – or heck, a lot.

If you’re the best dressed man in the room, you could potentially eliminate the association between Easter and pastels for all the sallow ladies like myself.

Shirt: J.Crew, $65

Pants: Uniqlo, $40

Tie: Liberty of London $20

Shoes: Johnston & Murphy, $135

Belt: Dockers, $20

 

Tell me,

 Are there any color palettes that you won’t wear?