Spring has finally decided to show its beautiful face in Happy Valley. Sure, there’s the occasional rainstorm or two, but that doesn’t put a damper on some fantastic fashion. Now that the weather has (somewhat) decided to cooperate, a plethora of bright, pastel colors have started making an appearance, whether it be on a pair of salmon shorts, a flowy skirt, favorite tees, or even on skinny jeans! Warmer weather means less drab, dark, and depressing colors being spotted on campus, being replaced by bright, vibrant, and happy colors.

The pastel trend has really taken off this season, especially with the gorgeous mint green color that’s been spotted everywhere from jeans, to dresses, to peplum tops! In fact, it’s one of those colors that can look fantastic on anybody. You can wear it with neutral tones, dark tones, and even navy. Here, Catie dressed down her polka-dotted dress with a military-style jacket, and black leggings. By wearing dark colors with the dress, she was able to make the color stand out more, which was perfect for a not-so-bright day outside by Old Main.

 

Of course, mint isn’t the only pastel color that’s been making waves this season. Many shades of pink have been spotted around campus, in the form of colored denim. Don’t be afraid to take the bold step of wearing colored jeans. You can wear it in the form of cutoff shorts, skinnies, or skirts. Colored denim takes an outfit to a new level of casual yet cool. Here, Wala was spotted at the HUB wearing a pair of pale pink skinnies. She kept her look simple by pairing them with a basic white shirt, but adding some complimentary colors into her look with her printed paisley scarf.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The military-inspired look has also been popping up this season, be it in the form of camo-colored jackets, military-inspired dresses and tops, camo pants, and boots. This might sound like more of a fall or winter trend, but you can still make it work in the spring, by opting for more neutral colors, as opposed to the camo color itself. Shades of olive green and khaki can be great in the spring as well, and don’t be afraid to mix in some bold colors into the look as well. Michelle was flyering when I spotted her in this khaki-colored shirtdress. She played down her look with a pair of black leggings, and black boots.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Does the weather make you feel blue? Try wearing a brightly colored (or printed!) top when those pesky April showers come to town. Even if the weather is awful, you can still wear bright colors to remind you that spring is a great season, and that it’s finally stopped snowing. Here, Hannah did just that. When I spotted her, she had her hood up, as it had just started raining, but that didn’t stop her red polka-dot top from being the main attraction of her outfit. She also paired the top with an olive military-esque vest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gentlemen, I promise I have not forgotten about you. Right now, I’ve been seeing a lot of guys wearing pastel colored shorts, paired with an oxford, and some type of boat shoe. I really like that look, however, what would this edition of Natty Nittany be without an appearance from the eloquent John Zang? His fashion has been discussed in many different posts about UPUA, with a particular interest in his ties. In this look, he proudly sported his Penn State pride, with a Nittany Lion belt buckle, while keeping it casual in jeans. He also had on a simple green tie, which popped out boldly against his blue gingham shirt. Also, gentlemen, if you have not invested in a casual blazer of some type, you’re way behind. They’re lightweight, look great on anybody, and really, just look at how sharp John looks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, I’m going to take a moment of vanity here, and discuss one of my outfits for the spring. I mentioned that colored jeans are quite wonderful, but what about white pants? Sure, you have to worry all the time about getting something on them, but they’re really great. In fact, white clothing has been everywhere this season! Forget about that “don’t wear white before Memorial Day/after Labor Day” rule, because it’s silly and pointless. White jeans are great year-round. You can pair them with a chambray shirt, or an oxford shirt. You can pair them with a simple T-shirt. You can wear them with awesome printed tops; they really make prints pop. The possibilities are endless. In my case, I kept them toned down, by wearing a navy blue T-shirt, Sperrys, and a green trenchcoat with a tulip-print on the inside of the jacket. I also had neon pink nails, which were probably the boldest part of my outfit. Here’s a protip: just don’t wear white denim when it’s raining outside. They have the potential to become see-through, and that’s just an embarrassing situation just waiting to happen!