Pantone Spring '10 Colors

Though Pantone premiered their spring 2010 forecast almost a year ago, it didn't much matter to the average person until very recently when the hope of warm weather and fewer layers was born. And now that we're officially hitting springtime, we can compare what we're seeing on hangers and shelves to what Pantone predicted:


This round of colors hits both ends of the spectrum, from conservative neutrals to bright attention-stealing hues. I'm excited to see "dried herb" in the mix, as it's coming into its own as a neutral that can be paired with almost any color. It's also great to see 3 of my favorite colors on there: "turqoise," "fusion coral" and "violet," which I love in any combination. Though "tomato purée," "aurora" and "amparo blue" are too similar to pure primary colors for my taste, each one would look great as an accent color in patterns, so I'm interested in finding out how they make appearances this season.

Also interesting is a side-by-side comparison of this year's colors for spring vs. last year's:


8 of this year's 10 colors is a direct relative to last year's colors. Some like "turqoise" and "tuscany" have become slightly more saturated, while others like "tomato purée," "fusion coral" and "violet" have shifted hues. "Aurora," surprisingly, became a little lighter, softer, and easier on the eyes.

But as always, Pantone's seasonal color report is a springboard for thought, design, and patterns that actually end up at Fashion Weeks and in stores--I'm sure we'll see a wider range of colors in production. Changes from year to year, as you can see above, are very slight, so perhaps it would be an interesting experiment to compare seasons 10 years apart to see if they truly reflect the times. For 2010, I interpret hope with measured optimism (Go 2010!).

Craft fair season is upon us

We've suffered through a cold and dreary winter, and we here in the city are getting that much closer to busting out our spring jackets. Imagine that! And the advent of spring ALSO means the advent of craft fair season, and ho boy, am I excited! Here's what's on the docket so far:

Bust's Spring Fling Craftacular:
Last year's Spring Fling
May 23
Location to be announced (Manhattan)

Renegade Craft Fair:
Renegade Website
June 5 & 6
McCarren Park (Brooklyn)
(Above photo came from their flickr stream here)

The Market
The Market Website
Every weekend year round (but now that spring is approaching, you'll actually want to walk to it!)
268 Mulberry Street (Manhattan)

Brooklyn Indie Market
BIM Website
Every weekend starting April 3rd
Smith Street & Union St (Brooklyn)

Let's get this party started!

Pairings: The Jenna Cowl

Last week we posted another item, the Jenna Cowl, in our shop on Etsy. This trim little collar uses some great fibres: alpaca, mohair, and silk (yum!) in jadeite and truffle (double yum!). What can you pair that with? We've got some suggestions:


The base colors for this are the jadeite and truffle, with a backdrop of slightly off-white and an occasional touch of plum. We've paired the Jenna Cowl with a racerback tank and a sheer top in our primary colors. For pants we suggest this pair of slightly off-white jeans (love the tint and how distinct it is!). To accessorize, we'd throw on this beautiful ring (with colors that perfectly match our palette) and 2 coats of the plum nail polish to bring it all together.

We hope you love the color combo as much as we do, so snag the Jenna Cowl for yourself!

1. Solid Sheer Layering Top in Taupe, Free People 2. Tri-Blend Racerback Tank in Tri-Lemon, American Apparel 3. Large Medallion Ring in Creme, Urban Outfitters 4. "Purple with a Purpose" nail polish, OPI 5. Skinny Grey Cloud Jeans, Free People

Pairings: The Annie Cowl

A few days ago, we posted the Annie Cowl (the latest addition to the cowl family) over at our shop. It's soft and supple, made from a combination of 2 yarns: 100% baby alpaca in linen, and 50% superfine alpaca/50% silk in lavender. In addition to these cloud-soft natural fibers, the all-over seed stitch we used gives it great texture.

But once you've bought it, how do you wear it? We've put together this "Pairings" post to give you some suggestions!


For this outfit we're starting with the calming neutrals of the Annie Cowl that match the softness of the lavender yarn. We've picked out a creme sweater with a wide neck so that the cowl can drape fully in the front while still showing off your neck and shoulders. Denim with a slight yellow tint blends nicely with this color family, while the tinted sunglasses and gold/lavender bangles echo the lavender in the scarf, tying the whole look and palette together.

Whichever way you wear it, the Annie Cowl is a great addition to any wardrobe. Snag it for yourself and find out!

1. 80s Sweatshirt by Truly Madly Deeply, Urban Outfitters 2. Sunglasses, TopShop 3. Lucky 7 Bangle Set, Forever 21 4. Skyscraper Studs Jeans, Roxy

Snag It! Corrine Cowl in citrine and gray

I posted some images a while ago of this cowl in progress, and I'm pleased to say it's finally done! I pride myself on using soft yarn in cowls, and this one takes the cake: 65% baby alpaca, 10% cashmere, 10% camel, and 15% silk. Yes, I went there. I also dig that it clings to the neck, but is still floppy, giving it the appearance of volume.

After reading about the Corrine Cowl's inception, snag it for yourself in the Etsy shop!