Pastel Color Combinations That Work in Sporty Outfits

The easiest pastel pairings share the same softness: pink with mint, blue with lavender, butter yellow with sky blue, peach with lilac. When two colors are equally light, they sit together without a fight, and a sporty piece like a hoodie, track jacket or sneaker keeps the look relaxed.

Below are five pairings, how to wear them in athleisure, and a few rules for keeping pastels from looking washed out.

Section 01

What pastel colors go well together?

Pastels are tints: white added to a color makes it lighter. Because every pastel carries that same white, most of them share a similar lightness, which is why they blend so easily. The pairings that work best add a bit of contrast in temperature (a warm pastel next to a cool one) or in texture.

Two pastels are enough for most outfits. Add a third only as a neutral: white, cream, light gray or denim.

Section 02

Five pastel color combinations to try

Pastel pink and mint green

This is the classic. Pink is warm, mint is cool, and the two balance each other. Try a blush hoodie with mint joggers, or a mint windbreaker over a pink tee. Add white sneakers so the pair has room to breathe.

Pastel blue and lavender

Both sit on the cool side, so the effect is calm and quiet. Green and blue are cool colors that tend to read as relaxed, and lavender extends that feeling. A sky-blue track jacket with lilac leggings is an easy start. Because the pair is low in contrast, a texture change (ribbed knit against smooth jersey) keeps it from going flat.

Butter yellow and sky blue

Yellow adds warmth and a little energy. Keep the yellow in the smaller piece, such as a cap or tee, and let the blue carry the larger one, like joggers or a bomber.

Peach and lilac

A softer, more unusual pairing. Peach is warm and lilac is cool, so they flatter each other. A peach sweatshirt with lilac shorts or a lilac skirt reads relaxed and slightly vintage.

Dusty pink and sage

Slightly grayer than true pastels, these two are easier to wear for people who find bright pastels too sweet. Pair a dusty-pink zip-up with sage trousers and a cream tee.

Section 03

How to build a pastel outfit that looks sporty

The sporty feel comes from the cut and fabric, not the color. Choose a pastel in a relaxed silhouette: an oversized hoodie, a bomber, a drawstring jogger or a tennis skirt. Cotton fleece, jersey and ribbed knits keep the look casual.

• Anchor the outfit with a neutral: white tee, gray sweatpants, denim or a cream jacket.
• Use one pastel as the main piece and the second in a smaller item, such as socks, a cap, a bag or sneakers.
• Match fabric finish. A matte pastel next to a shiny one can look like two different shades.

Through the lens of evidence-based design, I'd treat texture as part of the color. A fuzzy fleece makes a pastel look softer and deeper than the same shade in a smooth nylon, so a mixed-texture outfit can feel balanced even when the two colors are very close.

Section 04

Pastel color combinations for dresses and skirts

For a dress, let one pastel lead and put the second in a layer. A mint slip dress with a pale pink cardigan, or a lavender midi with a sky-blue denim jacket, works without extra styling. If the dress is already two-toned, keep shoes and bag neutral.

A sporty angle: wear a pastel tennis skirt or pleated midi with a contrasting pastel sweatshirt and clean white sneakers.

Section 05

Which pastel is best for you?

There is no single best pastel. Look at how the color sits next to your face in daylight. If it makes your skin look tired, move it away from your neckline: wear it on the bottom half and put a color you like near your face. Warm skin often looks good with peach, apricot and butter yellow, and cool skin with lilac, mint and icy blue, though these are tendencies, not rules.

On value, Bodie V. Pennisi of the University of Georgia explains: "Value is the lightness or darkness of each color. Adding white, black or white and black (which combine to make grey) to each color changes its value". In outfit terms, a slightly deeper pastel on the bottom and a lighter one on top gives you structure without leaving the soft palette.

Section 06

Keeping pastels looking fresh

Wash pastel pieces inside out in cool water, and check the care label. Pastels show sweat marks and dirt faster than darker colors, so a quick spot clean after wear helps.

For more soft-color outfit ideas, see Romantic Pastel Hues, or try the sportier take in Athletic Summer Must-Haves. If you like pastels with a playful edge, Comfy Barbiecore is a natural next step.

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