Ask Earl and Laurel Pantin: How to Style Primary Colors for Spring

We all have that one friend we go to for fashion advice. Online, that trusted voice is Laurel Pantin—a writer, editor, mom, and busy entrepreneur who always gets the balance just right, never overdressed or underdressed. Ask Earl is a direct line to her thinking. Once a month, she’ll help you solve the timeless question of what to wear—and how to wear it well—for any situation. Trying to figure out how to style work pants without looking too corporate? Or how to pack for a long flight with toddlers? Maybe you need summer outfit ideas that don’t involve dresses… Whatever your question, Ask Earl is where you’ll find the answer.

Hi! I’m Laurel Pantin, and this is a dream come true. I write a style and shopping newsletter on Substack called Earl Earl, where I cover a lot of things, but mostly personal style and identity—how to feel current without looking trendy. Last October, I brought my newsletter to life when I opened Earl IRL (get the pun?) in Beverly Hills. It’s a tiny boutique and styling studio where I work one-on-one with clients, helping them discover their personal style and build a wardrobe that makes them feel great. My favorite thing in the world (besides my kids) is helping people solve style and wardrobe problems, and I’ve made it my actual job to answer styling questions. What a ride!

Now I’m thrilled to bring my perspective to Vogue Shopping and launch my new column, Ask Earl. Every month, I’ll answer a real style question from a real reader, and hopefully make getting dressed every day a little easier and a little more exciting. My personal style sweet spot is a mix of practicality and self-expression. I’m not really a minimalist or a maximalist—I’m emotional about clothes, and I love how an outfit can make something personal and innate visible to others. Style is another way to communicate something from the inside, and when you feel like you’re expressing yourself visually, the rest of your day gets so much easier.

We’re heading into summer and, with any luck, a vacation or two. One of the questions I get asked most this time of year is how to pack—especially in just a carry-on. I love traveling with only a small carry-on, but I’ll admit—for some trips, you just have to take the pressure off and bring everything. When I go to Paris or New York for fashion week, I bring it all: I’ll check a bag and maybe pack a spare outfit or two in a carry-on just in case it gets lost. There’s nothing wrong with checking a bag, but it is a hassle, and when you’re eager to go from the plane to adventure, waiting at the luggage carousel is no fun.

So here’s my strategy for packing for a week—or up to 10 days—in just one carry-on.

Step 1: Choose Your Foundation
First, I pick six pieces: three bottoms and three tops that are my basics and will be the foundation of my travel wardrobe. For tops, I always need at least one button-down—this one is from Maria McManus—a sweatshirt (I love this one from Everybody.World), and a tee, also by Everybody.World. I also always pack a swimsuit; this one is custom by Tara Matthews and also works as a bodysuit—but for counting purposes, we’ll call it swim, not a top.

The bottoms I chose are a pair of long denim shorts from Róhe, B Sides jeans, and a full skirt from Rachel Comey. With these three, I feel like I’ve got almost everything covered: something cool and light for a hot day, something dressy for evening, and… jeans, you always need jeans.Step 1: Pick Your Basics

B Sides Tilda jeans – $415
B Sides
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Róhe baggy fit denim shorts – $390
RÓHE
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Rachel Comey Heni skirt – $695
RACHEL COMEY
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B Sides Tilda jeans – $445
SHOPBOP

Step 2: Put Together Outfits (and Take a Photo!)

Once I’ve picked my six items (okay, seven), I try every bottom with every top. That gives me nine go-to outfits. I take photos of each one so when I’m traveling, I can remember which combos I loved and which ones I didn’t like as much but might want to try again. These nine outfits aren’t super exciting on their own, but they’re a solid foundation and give you easy options to fall back on.

Step 3: Add Personality Pieces

Next, I add some personality pieces. These are fun, bold, or special items that you mix in with the basics to make everything pop. For a week to ten-day trip, I grab two more tops and two more bottoms. I picked some Chan Luu green floral pants, a Zankov sequin skirt, a Zankov sequin pink knit top, and my Dries Van Noten Hawaiian print scuba blazer.

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Dries Van Noten Belia Historical scuba jacket – $1,695
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Zankov Marcella maxi skirt – $1,800
MODA OPERANDI

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Zankov sequined knit crop cardigan – $1,400
NEIMAN MARCUS

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Chan Luu Soleil drawstring pants – $295
CHAN LUU

This is also where I bring in accessories. I try to limit myself to four pairs of shoes (remember, you can wear your bulkiest pair on the flight to save space in your bag). I bring one pair of casual sandals, one pair of flat dressy shoes, one pair of sneakers, and sometimes—depending on where I’m going—a pair of heels. I also pick my bags: a bigger tote that I use as my carry-on (this one is by Cahu, and we carry it at my store), and a clutch for daytime and evening (this one is from Savette). I also threw in a silver beaded belt from Kallmeyer and a feather brooch from Indress.

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Birkenstock Arizona slide sandals – $155
NORDSTROM

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Chanel sandals – $1,350
CHANEL

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Jamie Haller The Saccheto sneakers – $695
JAMIE HALLER

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Cahu Le Pratique L bag – $520
CAHU

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Neous Ibor slingback sandals – $650
NET-A-PORTER

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Indress ostrich feather brooch – $325
INDRESS

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Savette Symmetry mini bag – $1,020
FWRD / SAVETTE

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Kallmeyer Sora beaded belt – $485
KALLMEYER

The tricky part of this step is picking items that have personality and add a lot to your look, but that you already wear often enough to know how to style them. If you bring something totally out of character on a trip, you might end up feeling stuck with it. I used to think I’d land in a new city and suddenly become a different person—someone who wears leather shorts, for example—only to find out… no. I’ll never be a leather shorts person. So reach for things you’ve worn a few times before and feel comfortable styling in different ways.

Step 4: Final Outfit Check

And here’s the best part: repeat Step 2, but now include all your fun new personality pieces. Try at least two pairs of shoes with each outfit. You don’t have to try every single combination, but you want to make sure you can have some fun with what you’re packing. Pre-plan a few outfits and take photos. If it starts to feel too hard or you get stuck, swap out one or two items. If your basics and building blocks are things you wear often, the rest should come together easily. Packing this way gives you dozens of options that are both simple and expressive, without needing a huge suitcase.

Want more? Shop April’s Ask Earl, below.

So, for my very first Ask Earl, I’m talking about…I wear a lot of color in my everyday life—often very bright ones. On the runways this season, we saw so much bold, primary color from brands like Loewe, Celine, and Dries van Noten (my favorite), and it can be super intimidating for a lot of people! But after a few years of beige and neutrals, it feels so good to wear something bright. Here are some of the ways I do it.