What I Love This Week: Color, Comfort, Cardigans

Whew! I’m still catching up with myself after our Spring Color & Style Event. It’s always so energizing helping people find their best colors and styles, but it’s also very intensive. After working with so many (lovely!) people over the last few days, I find I need time for my brain to settle and to process the experiences. But I always come away reminded of why I love doing this so much.

Why Color Analysis Changes Everything

And doing color analysis drives home just how much the right colors can lift your energy. (My friend A. says it “raises your vibration.”) If you missed the Color & Style event but you’re curious about your own seasonal palette, there’s no need to wait for the next event — personal color and style analysis sessions are available year-round. Let’s find your colors!

The Transitional-Season Cardigan (+ Colors by Seasonal Palette)

We’re in that weird late-spring weather pattern: cool enough for a sweater in the mornings and evenings, but warm enough for short sleeves by midday. Light cardigans — like this “featherweight cashmere” from J.Crew — are perfect for navigating the fluctuations. Just drape or tie one over your shoulders when the sun comes out.

The color I’m wearing is “Bright Kelly,” which reads greener online than it does in person — the photo above is a pretty accurate representation. I absolutely love this color, and it works beautifully for Springs, most Autumns, and some Summers. Another bonus: pilling is negligible, which is not always a given with lightweight cashmere.

The cardigan is available in several gorgeous colors. Here are my recommendations by seasonal color palette:

• Winters: Black, Crimson Indigo (stripe), Hthr Neon Snapdragon, Ink Navy, Dark Poppy
• Summers: Crimson Indigo, Hthr Graphite, Larimar Blue, Cool Lilac, Bright Kelly (may be too bright for the softest palettes)
• Springs & Autumns: Bright Kelly, Smoked Walnut, Snow (looks like cream/oyster on my monitor, but haven’t seen IRL yet)

Jeans That Feel Like Sweats, Look Like Denim

Comfort is non-negotiable for me, especially for travel. But despite their ease, I’ve never been comfortable wearing sweatpants, yoga pants, or leggings except as workout wear. I like to arrive at my destination feeling put-together enough to start exploring. So when I kept seeing rave reviews of these “Miramar” jeans, I was intrigued. They’re actually made from light sweatpant material and printed to look — convincingly! — like worn-in jeans.

The first few styles were too long for me, but I recently spotted the ankle-length wide-leg style I’m wearing above, and had to try them. They recommended taking your usual size, but I think the 28 is slightly too large for me, and have the 27 on order for comparison.

For those of you who only wear natural fibers on a plane [raises hand 🙋‍♀️] they are 100% cotton! And because they are lighter than standard denim, will be more comfortable in warmer weather and dry more quickly. Other styles and lengths HERE.

Open-Weave Ballet Flats That Don’t Sacrifice Comfort

While I do wear sandals in the warmest months, sometimes I find a closed-toe shoe more appropriate. Open weave styles are everywhere this season, but I’ve found that they’re not always comfortable. Stiff and scratchy leather, or soles without padding are a deal-breaker. These woven ballet flats from Margaux are both comfortable and chic! The insole is lightly padded, and the leather does not rub or pinch anywhere. And they are available in narrow and wide widths!

Where to Actually Find Color Online

Some of our clients booked a personal shopping session after their color and style analyses. The nearest large mall has a broad selection of stores and brands, but even there, we found color choices disappointing. Lots of black, grey, and beige. Even when we did spot colors, more often than not they were Summer blues and primrose yellow. Many brands stock fewer colors in the stores than they offer online. It’s really frustrating!

So I thought I’d put together a list of online retailers and brands that regularly offer more colors in their collections.

J.Crew – they always seem to have a nice range of saturated colors that don’t follow trends

Boden – known for their bright colors & splashy prints

Lands’ End – most styles are offered in several colors

Banana Republic – loads of Autumn’s warm, earthy colors, some good Summer options

Alex Mill – great basics in natural fibers and lots of color variety

ME+EM – while they do have lots of neutrals, you can also find some good colors in each month’s collections.

Talbots – seeing some Emerald and cool reds & pinks for you Winters, along with some warmer greens and reds.

Chico’s – lots of good saturated colors in both cool & warm shades, as well as some softer Autumn colors.

Polo Ralph Lauren – these colors are classic for a reason!

A few “trending” colors I’m seeing across brands (aside from light blue and pale yellow):

• Tomato – an orange-y red that’s close to Geranium in the Spring & Autumn palettes
• Cool pinks – Fuchsia, Magenta, Raspberry, Rose. (Winters, the most saturated shades are best for you. Summers, look for the softer versions of these colors.)
• Cool reddish browns – there are a lot of these Summer palette browns across collections at the moment. These work best with other cool shades.
• Emerald green – a cooler, blue-based green that’s good for Winters
• Bright blues – from cobalt to “Chinese Blue” from the winter palette.

Now I’d love to hear from you! Are you leaning into any particular colors this season? Have you spotted any of your palette’s shades out in the wild — or found a brand that’s doing color really well right now? Share in the comments below!

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