September 23rd, 2011
Purple, Plum, Lavender, Lilac, Aubergine or Wine. No matter how you spray it, everyone knows this powerful color. And it is: for millennia, purple has been the stamp of the imperial standard. I won’t bore you with the timeline, but it’s worth noting that in its development in ancient Phoenicia, it took some 12,000 mollusks to extract 1.5 grams of pure “Tyrian Purple” dye. No wonder it’s a symbol of royalty: back in 1600 B.C., you had to be the wealthiest of the wealthy to afford it!
Tapping into the royal awesomeness of the color, Pastry has just released The Purple Collection for Fall 2011. Inspired by the crown jewel of the collection, the Glam Pie Foil Purple sneaker, I’m going to show you how to increase your purple swagger.
Let’s be clear: too much purple is a definite DON’T. If I were a boy, I’d kill to be oft-purple-clad Chuck Bass (billionaire man-boy of CW’s “Gossip Girl”)… sometimes. Through Chuck Bass, we shall learn of the dangers of too much purple:
YES: This outfit says “ease of Miami gent, but still an L.A. Lakers fan”
NO : There are no words to describe how terrible a purple penguin suit looks.
YESYESYES: Perfection. Only Chuck can dress-up to dress-down.
Capisce?
While I know a self-respecting Pastrista would never ever attempt one of Chuck Bass’ pretentious sacks, we can combine his violaceous palette with, say, a Blair Waldorf 90′s inspired headpiece and layers to create a true Pastry look.
Counter-clockwise from top: Clinique’s Almost Lipstick in Black Honey, a White Flower Headband, Grey Dip Hem Tee, BKE Slouch Pocket Sweater Vest, Diva’s Plastic Leopard Hoops, Oasis Resin Bangles, Slap Watch in Purple, American Apparel Neon Nail Polish in Neon Violet, Pastry’s Glam Pie Foil Purple, Hot Topic Tripp Neon Yellow Rocker Skinny Pants, Snow Leopard Mini Backpack, Purple Bulbous Bangle.
The Glam Pie sneaker embraces the Bjork Principle with an effortless mix of seemingly eclectic materials. I’ve created an outfit that doesn’t try to be as flashy (or as purple!) as the shoe, but instead showcases the purple tones through use of accessories. Since yellow is a complimentary color of purple, the neon yellow skinny jeans work fabulously. Dark layers on top are necessary to tone down the busy bottom half, but still make a statement. As for the accessories, let’s play around with some 90′s kitsch, complete with the dark purple Cholita lips (sidenote: you might think of Clinique as your grandmother’s brand of makeup, but their Black Honey lip stain is seriously *IN* and works well with all skin tones. It was my very first lipstick purchase back in the 6th grade, and I still love it).
Hey Pastristas! What are you wearing with your Pastry Kicks? Comment below!
xo Alli M.
PS: Can’t wait for more sweet sweet Pastry inspiration? Follow me on Twitter and Polyvore.
Counter-clockwise from top left: 
