Bubblegum pink — Fashion — Stylin' Granny Mama

Today, I am going to show you how to take a darker plaid and make it spring and summer ready. I know many of us put our darker colors away replacing them with pastels and the bright happy colors of warmer weather, but not everyone has as big of a wardrobe as I do. Indeed, for those who are more into a capsule wardrobe, this is a great way to use a darker print all year round.

I found these plaid Croft and Barrow pants a few months ago while thrifting. When I tried them on, I liked the way they fit, and knew they would be great for the holidays, but I also thought it would be fun to wear these any time of year by just adjusting what I pair them with. I decided to pull them out for this post.

As you can see in the picture below they are a simple pull on knit, thus the name inside the waist band - Effortless Stretch Pant. The older I get, the more I like that idea. Ha, ha. But then, the younger generation all wear leggings, which is really just a stretch pant, right? You can see these are perfect for Christmas with the red stripes, and green and blue plaid.

Style Tip: Roll up the hems on your straight leg pants, creating a narrow cuff, to give them a current, casual, and youthful look.

You might be wondering how I chose the sweater and the tee. I wanted to keep to the color scheme of the pants, but with lightening up the shades to a pastel, minty green, and a pastel, blush pink, it changes the feel of the whole outfit. I could have done a similar thing with a lighter reddish orange, and a lighter blue, but in similar shades to the original.

The whole idea behind Color Play is to play with colors and color combinations. I am not a color “trekkie”, boldly going where no woman has gone before in my color combinations. I still like things to look classic, polished, and put together in a way that makes a person think, wow, that’s a cool outfit. But, I still want to experiment and try new things, and I hope I am inspiring you to do that as well.

Style Tip: In order to lighten up an outfit when using a darker print, think in terms of shades of the darker print’s colors. If it is navy, evergreen and maroon, think in terms of light blue, minty green and pink.

My pink sweater was a Nordstrom Rack find, and is a brand called BYdesign. You can click on the link for a variety of color options. This is a great spring, and summer sweater as it is light weight. I got an XL, as I often like a roomier option. These are also on sale right now, so feel free to click on through.

My minty green v-neck tee is Hanes brand and a second hand find. Long sleeve and short sleeve plain colored tees are great pieces to stock up on at thrift stores. It doesn’t matter as much if they are not new as they are typically worn underneath other things.

I decided to wear a few red pieces of jewelry to coordinate with the red stripes in the pants.

My white bag is another thrift find that I typically pull out in the summer. I still have that “wear white in the warmer months” mentality, not so much about pants or tops, but definitely bags. In our current time anything goes, as they say, but we certainly still have our own personal preferences.

These cute sneakers were another thrift find. They are brand called vaisb, which looked to be a brand that used to be sold on Amazon.

What do you think of this outfit? Do you think I accomplished a spring or summer look by incorporating lighter colored pieces with the darker plaid pants? I personally like the way the outfit turned out, but I know it is not for everyone. However, the idea is to play with color. Don’t be afraid to think outside the crayon box when it comes to what colors you are brave enough to wear, and the color combinations you might create. Getting dressed should be fun and that is one of the reasons I share this blog with you.

I am including a few other shopping links below. Don’t forget to check out the BYdesign link above if you are in need of a light weight cardigan for summer. These are affiliate links. I do not earn any money from these links unless you purchase the item through the link. I provide these links to give you information and they are brought to you at no additional cost. All opinions are my own.

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You know how much I love color, so I was excited the Spring Trends for 2021 included a few fun colors. Once again, white is on the scene, and like pastels, seems to now be a year round staple. Winter whites this past winter were very popular and I felt it was an easier color for many to wear than a stark, brilliant white, but even bright white has a place, and this spring and summer it will have its day. In addition to white, this spring/summer season is heralding the addition of bubblegum pink. This bright, deep pink can be worn full on, or sprinkled. Just like ice cream toppings, you can decide if you want to drizzle or drench. Today’s outfit is a simple combination of these two colors. Let me know what you think.

My bright pink striped sweater is a thrift find from a few years ago. This Old Navy brand top is comfortable and light weight, so perfect for these still chilly days of spring. My biggest problem with pullovers right now are my belly flaps, or as they are more commonly known - the spare tire. I don’t really have as much of a bulge in the front, but definitely on my sides. At the suggestion of my daughter, I am discreetly hiding the fact behind my clutch. Ha, ha.

This picture is silly, but I put it in here for several reasons. First, I thought you might enjoy a good laugh. I think this was one of my dance moves: maybe the wave? The second reason has to do with what I did with my pullover top. I often do the front tuck. Doing this helps to hide some of the middle area bulge that many of us are carrying around. I did this as an after thought, so it isn’t as pretty as it could be, but you get the idea. Finally, I wanted you to see this maxi skirt that I have styled before on the blog. This St. John’s Bay skirt from JC Penny is one of my favorite summer pieces, as it is fully lined, has an elastic waist and groovy texture. You can see it styled with a green jacket and an orange striped tee.

I like to give you links to past posts, to show you the versatility of the pieces in your wardrobe and how they can be styled for different seasons and with different pieces. You don’t have to have a clothing fetish like I do to have a full and interesting wardrobe. Having a few key pieces, like a white skirt, whether maxi, midi or mini; a-line, pleated or pencil, will give you lots of options for warm weather looks.

I’ve included a couple of pictures that show you up close the details on the skirt.

Once again, I chose a long, pendant necklace. I also added a silver and gray stone bracelet. To keep my accessories similar I grabbed my silver clutch and my silver SO ballerina flats. As I said last week, low soles are back in style, so grab your flats and your sandals and walk in comfort.