Pantone Archives

Pantone: Colors they Love, Colors that Endure

December 9, 2022

I was browsing the Pantone website a few days ago, after their announcement of the 2023 color of the year. Viva Magenta!

Of course, that doesn't mean that we will EVER walk into any store and see a decent assortment of magenta clothes and accessories. Pantone doesn't seem to have the influence over retailers that they once did...

But I DID run across an article about "Colors We Love, Colors That Endure."

I'm not sure what they mean by endure - all colors endure, don't they?

Still - I had to see what these colors might look like, if we were considering a new wardrobe accent!

White Asparagus is a color that I would consider adding as a wardrobe neutral; to me it's really just a variation of beige or ... View the Post

Accessories “Families” based on Pantone’s Spring 2022 colors

January 12, 2022

It's time to look at some "new" colors. (Yes, I never cease to be amazed by the hubris of calling a color "new"...)

But the announcement of these colors does give us a chance to think about what accent colors we prefer, and what we might want to consider. During these VERY short days (in the Northern Hemisphere!), which are very VERY cold, something to brighten up your wardrobe routine isn't crazy...

Please note, when you're shopping for socks, make absolutely sure that you're ordering what you have in mind - some socks are NOT meant to be worn with shoes! They're for lounging, or sleeping, or maybe worn under heavy boots. Trying to get a pair of those into a trim little loafer is going to be disappointing... ... View the Post

The Common Wardrobe in Navy and Ivory, accented with Potpourri pink

October 20, 2021

I'm been looking at the Pantone Spring 2021/22 colors; looking may be as far as I get with some of them - there are a couple of truly odd colors on this list!

But we can always start with a neutral wardrobe core, and then use one of the more accessible of the colors for accent, right?

This version of The Common Wardrobe is not a long way from the original, shown below. The jeans are unchanged, the knit pants, long-sleeved tee and cashmere turtleneck are navy rather than black.

For other garments, I tried to stick with the original role that the garment played - 2nd layer, top, bottom - and then looked for a navy or ivory version, in a "long over short" option.

Today's heroine has been wearing her navy ... View the Post

Accessory Accent Colors – Pantone Fall 2021/22

May 14, 2021

Just when it feels as if we're NEVER going to wear warm weather clothes, and when all of my things start to look... too familiar... some new colors (ahem...) are introduced! Some fresh accessories could brighten up our cold-weather clothes as they finish their run, or could be all you need for warmer weather!

yes, there are THREE shades of blue in these 10 colors - I used these sandals more than once, because frankly I really like them! They look comfortable...

Great happiness - if you look good in yellow, GO FOR IT! The rest of us like it but don't wear it to our best effect...

I love this next color - with navy it would be glorious, but against white, in hot weather, it would be great fun...

yes, ... View the Post

Need Something Bright? Accessories in 10 “New” Colors

December 21, 2020

Pantone gifted us with 10 more "new" colors for the 2021 London Fashion Week! Actually, we've seen Illuminating yellow before, but the rest of these are new names for lovely colors that have existed since we first had rods and cones in our eyes...

Their colors for 2021 are Illuminating Yellow and Ultimate Gray, which made me laugh; back in about 1998 or so, I worked at an ad agency that unveil their new logo in the very edgy colors of yellow and grey!

The more things change, eh?

So if you're in the mood for a gift to brighten up your wardrobe, I've got a few suggestions!

First is an elusive but really lovely cool pink - almost lavender...

This might not be the easiest shade of green to wear, ... View the Post

Is It Time for a Wardrobe Brightener? Pantone 2021 Spring Colors

October 30, 2020

Most of us are being very disciplined with our wardrobes right now, but I think that we (and those around us) might benefit from the occasion cheerful update. With that in mind, I tackled the "newest" colors from Pantone.

First up - if you can wear yellow, DO IT. Many of us look like a Halloween decoration when we wear it, and that's too bad. Nothing is more eye-catching and smile-prompting.

And this gingham sweatshirt comes in 4 colors, including pink. I AM tempted...

This shade of blue might be an accent for some of us, or for many it will just be some pretty new additions. I wasn't able to exactly match the Pantone color (heck, I wasn't able to match ANY of the colors exactly!) but I tried to ... View the Post

Pantone London Autumn 2020/21 Colors – Some Accessory Families

July 8, 2020

I've wanted to look at some colors, and some accessory families, for a while! And if I'm not mistaken, Spring 2021 colors should be around soon? But I saw these colors - specifically for the London Fashion Week (go figure) and I thought I'd visit them....

Yes, some of these color are familiar; We looked at the New York version of these back in January!

This might be a good time for me to share with you a few of the things that I keep in mind when I'm putting together a blog post for you:

I try to avoid showing anything that isn't available in almost every size originally available; nothing's more irritating that seeing something that you really like, and finding that you can't have it! I try to never show ... View the Post

Accent a Tan and Brown wardrobe with Sandstone and Amberglow

March 6, 2020

These are the last of those crazy accent colors from Pantone New York Fashion Week 2020/21, along with some restful, timeless warm neutrals... It's the Only Color Palette She's Ever Known...

She has hair the color of the last hot coals in the fireplace... Freckles of a warm caramel brown that look good enough to eat... And dark brown eyes...

Nobody else in her family had coloring ANYTHING like hers, when she was a child. So her mother very wisely just dressed her in the ivory of her skin, the rosy tan of her freckles, the subdued fire of her hair and the grounding darkness of her eyes...

As she grew older, it never occurred to her that there were other colors she might want to wear; she was busy playing, ... View the Post

Accent a Black and White wardrobe with Magenta Purple and Green Sheen

February 28, 2020 She Doesn't Want to Go... to this week-long "professional development" seminar. She's made it clear that she's not the right person to go, and that there are other members of the staff that are MUCH better suited to attend.

Worse yet, the weather there is uncertain, and nobody seems to know how dressy this whole shebang might be...

So she has her own plan... She's going to very quietly do her own thing, in colors that might daunt a less annoyed woman!

She will be perfectly appropriate, and will behave impeccably. But a little bit of acid green from time to time is going to be her way of showing a bit of... ire, shall we say?

She understands that she will, in fact, probably have a great time. ... View the Post

Accent a Navy and Stone wardrobe with Ultramarine Green & Samba

February 19, 2020

I thought that I'd try something slightly different with these most recent Pantone colors; start with a "2-Neutral" wardrobe base, and then add in 2 of the accent colors to pull together a 4 by 4 Wardrobe...

My theory (correct me if I'm wrong!) is that most of us have 2 neutrals in our wardrobes, and would like to have more than 1 accent color.

The only hesitation I have here is that there's no light neutral tee shirt or top; I'd be tempted to toss in a simple white tee and white button-front shirt into this wardrobe too!

Let's see how this works...

First up, the accent pieces in Samba:

A different heroine might want a red dress - why not? But this heroine is working now 3 days a week in an office ... View the Post

New (?!?) Colors – Pantone New York Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2020/21 colors

February 12, 2020

So after the fashion shows in New York end, Pantone get their heads together to choose 10 MORE "new" colors...

Humbug.

But this is always fun to look at, and to imagine updating a Weekly Timeless Wardrobe of simple neutral clothes with these pretty, and sometimes VERY noticeable colors. This is a great time of year to indulge in a few pieces that give your existing winter wardrobe some life, and that bring a smile to your face!

This first color, which I call ORANGE, would be nice any time of year - this would be lovely and warm with beige, grey or navy in the middle of the winter:

This next color is SO PRETTY. It's a notch off of a "true" red, or something warm and tomato-y. With the classic loafers, and ... View the Post

New Colors? The Pantone Colors for Spring/Summer 2020

October 18, 2019

Oh hurrah, new colors.... Which of course is absurd, but it always give us a chance to look at a whole bunch of French 5-Piece Wardrobes (which is also absurd...)

These are little ensembles of a sweater and some accessories, based loosely upon the colors that Pantone has chosen to feature for the upcoming Spring and Summer. The items that I've chosen do NOT match the Pantone colors exactly, because that's the road to madness!

First up - RED! Always available, and a color that you either love or just never wear...

Saffron is the "Color of the Year" for 2020. If you can wear it, jump in and stand out in the crowd - the rest of us will just stand back and admire...

This looks like a muted navy ... View the Post