If you didn’t grow up in the UK, you might not be familiar with rhubarb and custards. Double-sided boiled sweets with a wonderful flavour combination (one half a tangy, sour pink, the other a creamy yellow), they’re a true confectionary classic. And they’re the inspiration for our favourite colour pairing of s/s 2019.

Because like the flavours of rhubarb and custard, the colours yellow and pink are a joyful match – and they’re not as hard to wear together as you might think. Buttery shades go beautifully with punchy pinks, while zesty lemon tones look dreamy when undercut by soft rosy pastels. 

Yellow and pink is also the ultimate smile-inducing colour blend. It’s probably possible to feel blue while wearing a sharply tailored blush suit or a party dress the colour of egg yolk, but we doubt it.

There are endless ways to wear this dreamy dessert duo, but below, we’ve honed a couple of shade combinations we’re loving right now. Prepare to take yellow and pink from ye olde sweet shop to your wardrobe.

In colour theory pink denotes caring, compassion and love; while yellow represents happiness, intellect and energy. And who doesn’t want to bring every one of those qualities to work? Bold and buzzy, Zara’s yellow polka dot skirt is a jolt of sunny optimism – and would look neat with this boxy bubblegum pink T-shirt from Weekday. 

With its puffed sleeves and fluted hem, this floral fit from Lovedrobe has a real Seventies vibe about it. It’s the ideal dress for weekend pursuits; good for lounging, brunching, gigging or pubbing (also: good for being painted in, if an artist should suddenly find themselves in need of a muse). Pair it with this Oasis cross-body bag and you get practicality to boot: sling it over your torso and you’ll have one hand free to clutch a beer, the other to dance.

More power to those year-round swimmers, but for those of us more inclined to dip a toe in an outdoor lido when the sun has enough power to warm up the water, it’s time to get prepared. (At least, it could be? #globalwarming). Our look for South London’s beautiful Brockwell Lido – built in 1937 and surrounded by a series of grade-listed Art Deco buildings – is Three Graces London’s rippled raspberry number and these caramel shades from Ace + Tate.

Ah, the joys of wedding season, guaranteed to make you fret about a dress and shoes much longer than you’d ever fret about anything else. We say: eschew tradition and choose a suit (and one you’ll get a lot of use out of later). This pink one from Reiss is lovely as a set, but also works individually: ditch the jacket and wear the trousers with a statement top, or drape the jacket over a slinky LBD. 

Whatever permutation you pick, these mid-heels from Miista will get you from the service to dance floor with minimal foot pain and no stilettos in the grass. It’s a happy couple if we’ve ever seen one!

Allow us to break the fourth wall for a moment: this was meant to be a feature with only four outfit pairings but we saw this dress and just had to share it with you. Cos have taken their usual comfy/classy aesthetic and upped it – by turning a silhouette that could err on the unexciting side, well, pink. Wear with these acrylic Cult Gaia hoops and you have yourself one playful, directional combination.

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Images: Getty / Courtesy of brands