Cheryl Shops

After several seasons of bright, bold colors, and even neon more recently, the spring runways lightened things up a bit with pastels, notably at 3.1 Phillip Lim and Givenchy. However, it was Prada's kitchy 1950s-tinged collection and its accordion pleats galore that captured my heart. Mint green is definitely the color of the season, and while it's not a shade for everyone, thankfully there's baby blue, lavender, blush, and all manner of pastels to suit a range of skin tones. You can also find everything from jackets to pants in these pale shades, but here I'll focus on dresses and skirts à la Miuccia.


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If you find Prada too intellectual, well, there's always Versace. Leave it to Donatella to make pastels sexy, right? The pleats on this dress lie in a single panel, so the effect is incredibly flattering and streamlined, perfect for those who are worried about extra volume on top.

This Tibi dress is lovely in that the color is so neutral and flattering (it's almost like being naked!), but the bright beading along the armholes livens it up a bit. Its fluid silhouette, however, makes it the type of shape that women love and men...don't.

Doo.Ri, on the other hand, makes looks that both men and women can love. This sateen dress has a super-flattering fit, from the draped bust to the fitted waist that softly flares over the hips with an asymmetrical pleated skirt.

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Back to Tibi, this pleated sleeveless dress is a great choice for day—you can throw a cardigan or jacket over it and wear it to work. The shape is well balanced, with a demure neckline (again, work appropriate), and the minty-green color is right on trend.

This 6 Shore Road dress, however, is straight up flirty. with a flounce top. I love the lavender shade, and the price ($158) is very wallet-friendly too. Single ladies, this is the perfect date-night pick.

I've been Pinterest-ing photos of similar semisheer blush maxi skirts for what seems like ages; this BCBGMAXAZRIA pleated maxi is seriously just what I've been looking for. Like the Tibi dress above, it's a creamy, dreamy neutral color, but the fact that you can wear it with anything on top (blazer, T-shirt, etc.) makes it so much more versatile.

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With its slightly boxy shirtdress shape this Topshop dress definitely takes strong inspiration from Prada. (For the more diminutive readers out there, it comes in yellow in petite.) Also very Prada: the fact that it's slightly sheer, making it just a little bit risqué.

Can't decide on a single color? This Topshop skirt lets you cheat a little, mixing lavender, mint, blue, and blush all together in a subtle pattern. Plus, bonus points for a trendy high-low hem.

And, of course, you can always count on Zara to interpret a runway look in a wearable and very affordable way. This dress is cheating a bit, in that it also features a dark dip-dyed effect at the hem, but that contrast between the mint and the black makes it that much more interesting—and easier to wear for the pastel-averse.