Lime Green is in for the season
In terms of a perfect outfit, one that is cool yet timeless, original yet everybody thinks they could pull it off, it’s hard to beat Gwyneth Paltrow’s green two-piece set worn as Estella in the 1998 film Great Expectations.
The Donna Karan cardigan and slinky skirt set is, in these still ’90s minimalism obsessed times, total fashion catnip. It pops up constantly on Instagram, and paired with sandals, it’s exactly what you want to look like when the weather starts warming and spirits begin to lift.
Green has been declared the hue of the season. In part this has been led by Daniel Lee at Bottega Veneta with his fondness for punchy green accessories, the kind that render the rest of your outfit merely filler. Green was spotted everywhere in the street style (the authentic, joyful kind!) at Copenhagen Fashion Week earlier this month, on shoes, trousers, a sliver of a top.
Green makes sense, representing fresh starts and new beginnings, it can be earthy and it can be vibrant.
But it’s another hue of green that might really be the real clue for spring as we inch toward happier days—lime green. The exact hue of a lime spider drink (remember those?) or a Pine Lime Splice or, well, The Grinch.
Shop now: David Koma crystal-embellished cardigan, $632.33 from Net-a-Porter
As Jennifer Lopez wrote this week in a caption to accompany a photo of her in a lime green tiny cardigan, “My favorite color [sic] is neon anything.”
Maybe it’s ours too.
Shop now: Rollas East Coast flare jeans, $159.95 from The Iconic
Lime green is a little sour, it’s punchy and unexpected. It’s what you might like to wear to shock yourself back into carefree living—look at Kendall Jenner in this fuzzy neon lime dress from Bottega Veneta on a boat in Italy this week. Or Hayley Bieber in an all lime green set in Paris. David Koma has spliced lime green into a few seasons now and there’s something so compelling about a lime green sweater or blazer.
Back to Gwyneth Paltrow’s perfect green outfit and it turns out the only way to improve it, as Camille Charriere showed in a chic and sly nod to the reference this week, is with this lime green version from Christopher Esber.
It’s actually a clever shirtdress made to look like separates, and you could wear it tucked or loose and you should definitely wear it on a boat.
Shop now: Christopher Esber silk-satin shirt dress, $,1084.54 from Net-a-Porter
In any case, lime green’s ascent must surely represent hopefulness (even if slightly curdled) for the season ahead. You could even say we have Great Expectations for it.
