The Tamesis
We all turn to a friend for fashion advice. On the Internet, that second pair of eyes is Laurel Pantin—a writer, editor, mother, and entrepreneur—who is never overdressed or overdressed. Ask Earl is a direct link to Pantin’s brain, where once a month she helps you solve the age-old question: what to wear and how to wear it, in every possible situation. Want to figure out how to style work pants without looking corporate? Or how to pack for a long-haul flight with a toddler? Maybe it’s summer outfit ideas that don’t involve dresses… Whatever your question, Ask Earl has the answer for you.
Hello! I’m Laurel Pantin and this is my dream come true. I write a fashion and shopping newsletter called Earl Earl on Substack where I write about a lot of stuff, but mostly about personal style and identity and how to feel current Don’t look fashionable. My newsletter came to life last October when I launched Earl IRL (get the pun?) in Beverly Hills. It’s a small boutique and styling studio where I get to work one-on-one with clients to help them figure out their personal style and create a range of outfits that make them feel great. My favorite thing in the world (aside from my kids) is helping people solve their style and wardrobe problems, and I make it my job—my real job. Work——Answer styling questions. What a trip!
and Now I’m extremely excited to bring my perspective and vision to Vogue Shopping with the launch of my new column, Ask Earl. Each month I answer a real fashion question from a real reader and hopefully make dressing up every day a little easier and a little more exciting. The sweet spot of my personal style is a combination of practicality and expression. I’m not really a minimalist or maximalist, I’m interested in clothing and inspired by its ability to make others see something innate and personal. Style is another way of communicating something about your interior, and when you feel like you’ve expressed yourself correctly visually, the rest of the day becomes much easier.
So, for my first Ask Earl, I mean color. I wear a lot of colors in my daily life, and a lot of them are very bright. On the runways this season, we’re seeing bold primary colors from brands like Loewe, Celine and Dries van Noten (my favorite), which for a lot of people are super intimidating! However, after a few years of beiges and neutrals, it felt nice to wear something bright. Here are some of my practices.
Video: Courtesy of Laurel Pantin
a pop and an accessory
I hate the term “pop color” because I think it often looks gimmicky and just makes the color feel more like an outlier. But in this case, I think it works because instead of wearing a bright sweater with black, I’m wearing navy, which is also a color. Whenever I wear colors, I need to wear more colors instead of black or white. The navy suit is from Kallmeyer and although it is dark and traditional, the color is beautiful. The sweater is a chartreuse color from Zankov, which would look a bit jarring if I wore it in black. The Navy softened it. Then, the bright blue Esha Soni bag brings out the blue in the suit and meets the weirdness of the Zankov sweater.
