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 stone…
Cardigan – Boden; pearl earrings – Talbots; vest – Boden; pants – L.L.Bean; jeans – Citizens of Humanity; loafers – NYDJ; scarf – Bellemere New York
Same with Tornado – which I call charcoal grey! Charcoal looks great with black, navy, brown, or beige – maybe even olive green! Charcoal cords or wool pants are very versatile…
Charcoal boyfriend sweater – Boden; earrings – Kendra Scott; scarf – Echo; tote – MZ Wallace; hematite bracelet – Maria Lau; loafers – Aerosoles; corduroy pants – Lands’ End
If you look good in orange, and you like it, WEAR IT. So many of us aren’t flattered by its warmth, and that’s too bad…
Orange sweater – At Last…; earrings – Swarovski; leather bracelet – Studio EBN; scarf – Shinjuku Lanes; orange & gold choker – Kendra Scott; bag – Sinbono; loafers – Massimo Matteo
Here’s another accent color for grey or navy wardrobes – Mauve Mist! I think this would be lovely with grey or navy…
And yes, the sneakers are very expensive. VERY. But if you wear them for 10 years…
Heather orchid cashmere sweater – J.Crew; alexandrite earrings – Latelita; pearl pendant – Wild & Fine Jewellery; bracelet – Deux Mains; ribbed cashmere scarf – Bellemere New York; sneakers – Giuseppe Zanotti; linen tote – MLE
I’m really happy that Pantone finds Classic Blue to be a core color for them, because in the real world, it can be HARD to find. But this would be lovely with grey, or beige…
Blue sweater – Caslon; star earrings – Swarovski; bracelet – Shar Oke; silk square – Nordstrom; blue pearl necklace – Valerie Chic; loafers – Marc Joseph New York; bag – Gaucha Leather
I’m VERY eager to know what you all think of this Bamboo color! It’s sort of the color of citrine stones, which is helpful when you’re looking for something special in this color.
Striped silk bandana – Echo; earrings – Swarovski; sweater – dref by d; yellow jade earrings – Madewell; citrine bracelet – Eliza Bautista; citrine necklace – Eliza Bautista; pear loafers – Söfft
SAMBA!!! Just box all of this up and send it to me – especially that cardigan/sweater/coat thing. So lovely!
Cardigan coat – Salanida; earrings – Milou Jewelery; bracelets – Panacea; red jade tassel necklace – Cosanuova; scarf – Elizabetta; rhinestone bag – Aldo; loafers – ARA
I could see the temptation to pack away EVERYTHING dark on the last day of Christmas, and jumping straight into pretty, bright spring colors:
Sweater – At Last…; earrings – Lala Salama; bracelet – Syylvia Toledano; scarf – Mantility; bag – Sinbono; necklace – Jackie Mack Designs; sneakers – Vans
What do you think? I don’t see all of these as timeless, nor as wildly loved. Do you love any of them?
love,
Janice
p.s. Five years ago, I was headed to Paris with only SIX pieces of clothing in my bag…
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I agree Janice, none of these really speak to me nor do I see their special endurance. I do like the blue and Beige. For once, the name ‘classic blue’ relates to what the color looks like.
I remember the look back post! Genius packing, wonder how did it go? Did you end up buying more tees?
On a different note, may I ask if booties/tall boots are acceptable footwear for attending a winter wedding? Temps here can range from 0-10 C°. So far, I’m planning to wear either a black midi shirt dress or a plain navy knee length dress. The venue is on a vineyard, and though I know in the end I’ll do what feels right to me, I’m curious to know what you and the VF readers have to say.
Cheers and blessings from Barcelona!
In winter, I presume that you are more likely to be indoors in a barn or something for most of the time. You could consider ankle boots depending on how long your dress is. You could wear boots outside but have a pair of shoes to change into once inside. Boots would be difficult to dance in.
I have the same dilemma because my daughter is planning a late autumn/winter wedding. I’m going to wear velvet but hate having cold feet.
Thanks for your thoughts Beth T!! That’s the thing, I usually have feet cold so the thought of flats is not inspiring. Heels are a no-go for me. I don’t know for changing shoes, it would be my last option since I’ll be running after my 4 year old :D
Invitations can be such fun… Although is nice to do and especially think about something out of the ordinary, I’ll admit that!
I vote to wear the boots if that’s what you want to wear!
Personally I’d go with suede ankle boots and matching tights (fleece lined if you are going to be outside a lot) – bonus points if they are in an accent color (like maroon) or tonal match (like a lighter blue with the navy dress or charcoal with the black). I’m pretty sure I could dance in ankle boots – tall boots might be a challenge. Sounds like a fun time! I hope you enjoy it!
Thanks Chris and Ezzy, you are a dear! I love this blogging community so much!
Great idea, Chris. I have problem feet so tend to dress from the feet upwards. I’m comfortable wearing ankle boots with longer dresses and skirts. Arwen, if it’s very cold, you can wear socks on top of your tights inside the boots, so that’s a plus. It also depends on your outfit and the style of the boots. I’m sure you’ll look fabulous and your little one is likely to be a cute distraction from your footwear!
My lovely niece was married at a ranch outdoors in February. The reception was held in a converted barn – a rollicking time! The bride wore denim-blue cowboy boots (something blue) that were covered by her full length white lace gown. The boots peeked out as she danced the opening waltz with her dad. Not a dry eye in the barn! She looked absolutely beautiful, blue boots and all!🥰
The packing from the “look back” was never tested; by the time I got to the Chicago airport, I was feeling HORRIBLE, and I turned around, went home, spent the next NINE days in bed with flu. Sigh…
hugs,
Janice
Oh no! I do remember you had to cancel/postponed even more than once a trip to Paris, but didn’t thought it was this one! Hope you can test it soon and report on it :)
I don’t know if you will see this as it’s now December 10 but I think boots are very comfy and can certainly dance in them. In TX we do that more often than not!
Morning Janice. I do like the Tornado and the Classic Blue. To me they might be enduring colors. Personally I like the Summer Green, but I don’t think it would be for everyone. The Samba, Mauve Mist, and White Asparagus are ok and I’m sure would work for many people. Even the Birds of Paradise would look lovely on some – though I don’t know that I would classify it as enduring. The Bamboo is totally meh for me. I don’t see it as enduring or loved. But that’s just me.
Of these I would choose Tornado (Charcoal), Classic Blue, Samba (Burgundy) and Mauve Mist.
I’d love to be able to wear White Asparagus (beige) but it just drains the colour from my face. Isn’t Bamboo just Chartreuse? It is a very odd colour that can only be worn by a few people.
What is enduring – surely a neutral that goes with a number of accents? Only the White Asparagus (Beige), Tornado (Dark grey) and Classic Blue (Light Navy) could be enduring. Samba (Burgundy) could be a neutral or accent. The rest are accents and not all the accents would go with those three neutrals either. Perhaps you could develop these into mini wardrobes trying out the different neutrals.
I bought a sweater in the fall that is very close to Bamboo. I’m really not sure how I feel about the color. It looks good with dark denim and I have boots and a handbag in a sort of dark forest/olive green color. I think it makes a nice outfit. But when I wore it I didn’t feel quite right in the color. A scarf would help, but I don’t wear scarves. It’s one of those “what was I thinking” purchases. I do enjoy wearing orange, as long as it’s not too bright. I can’t figure out the white asparagus, is it a warm beige or a cool taupe? I can wear a warmer beige but it’s hard to tell the difference sometimes when I’m shopping.
From your comment, I like the white asparagus even more – I’m in that weird “warm or cold?” section that means I’m equally likely too buy and wear both. The other three that I like are Tornado, Samba and Mauve Mist. I would be content with that wardrobe.
I have been rethinking grey as my second neutral, with navy as my other neutral. Especially in warm weather. I have now found my replacement neutral in the white asparagus color. On my screen I see it as an off white, oystery pale beige. Neither too warm nor too cool. At least that is what I will be looking for. The classic blue, to me, is just that; classic, versatile, wearable. The bamboo is a curious color. It could be good if not too saturated. However, stray but a little and it would become a closet relic. The other colors would be a bit much for me. I’m not sure the bright orange could be classified as enduring. Although it might be good for some.
On another note, I think the One Dress experiment is drawing to a close. I hope Janice does a debrief on the experience. It was inspiring.
I don’t love any of these colors! The Bamboo would make me look sickly and jaundiced. The Classic Blue is pretty and likely the only shade I’d wear.
Classi blue, summer green. The other colors would not find a place in my closet. I’m surprised versions of coral and aqua weren’t included.
I like classic blue, summer green, tornado, and white asparagus. But I agree with comments stating that the neutrals were the most classic. I think that Pantone’s comments are more geared to home decor than clothes – that bamboo color is a celery/chartreuse that was THE color for wall paint in the 90’s; and it is surprisingly versatile with different choices of sofa colors. From an interior design perspective I think a lot of these are “classic” and long-lasting. My 2 cents.
I am head over heals in love with that cardigan coat in that colour! It’s gorgeous!
I love the blue and the white asparagus( tho that shade near my face would be draining). I’m really drawn to the cashmere scarves. Once I finish some knitting projects , I’ll be searching for worsted cashmere. Lovely
I love the Summer Green color, but have almost none on my wardrobe as it’s so hard to find. I would also wear Bamboo (as long as it doesn’t veer muddy), White Asparagus, and Tornado. That said, I find that the various shades of green are never really classic colors, except for olive, much to my chagrin.
I feel really drawn to summer green, which kind of surprised me because I don’t have a lot of green in my wardrobe. Although I probably should as my eyes are a green/blue changing shade depending on what I’m wearing!
I wear mostly black, so any of these colors I would use as an accent piece, such as jewlery, a scarf or something. I like to wear black on black with a third piece (maybe a cardigan tied around) as my accent. It is hard in Florida becuase it is so hot really all year, to wear lots of cute blazers etc… but i do own several in accent colors in wool for winter or linnen for summer. I have given up sleeves entirely on my tops since turning a certain age…. toooooo hot.
I would wear the tornado and possibly the samba, a color that I would call wine, but this post got me thinking about what my forever colors would be. Black, gray, navy, white, red. Those are the colors that will always be in my wardrobe. And for accents, I can’t imagine being without pink and light blue and possibly a turquoise or aqua color.
The Classic Blue and Samba (burgundy) are my favorites here and I think both qualify as timeless. The White Asparagus color is interesting to me as a variant on the light taupe concept to use as a light neutral. This is the kind of color people think would suit me because it’s so light, but I actually prefer a darker taupe than this. But I could see making a tonal column with White Asparagus and a darker taupe…though on me, it would require colorful accessories or I’d be washed out. For the Summer Green items, I like the shade of the background of that scarf but find the green of the sweater too yellow for my taste for a mid-range bright warm green. I didn’t realize I am so picky about these greens but I really am. Same with light purples. The Mauve Mist is too light and desaturated for my taste.
I bought some Eileen Fisher separates several years ago in “sea salt”, which looks like white asparagus here. They’re so versatile. I wear them together or separately all the time.
It was a year when they made a lot of heavier weight merino wool knit things that were sort of like St John. I bought a shell, cardigan, and skirt in the sea salt and the charcoal gray, and still wear them all the time (though I admit to not wearing the sea salt skirt very often.)
I love all of the Pantone colors shown save the orange and green that I “can’t” wear. I would love to see more clothing in these colors.
I like the White Asparagus (which I thought was Oatmeal, but WA is a prettier name) and the Tornado for neutrals, and I probably will be wearing them forever. The yellow jade earrings are lovely.
I’m in the minority here. i could see picking white asparagus as my neutral and accenting it with bamboo in Spring. Switch over to the summer green in Fall. Maybe use a touch of the Birds of paradise with the bamboo? For some reason, while I like blue most of the time, the Classic blue here was a turn off. Overall, this was a weird selection that doesn’t seem truly enduring to me. However, it was interesting to see which ones provoked an Ooh, Meh or Euw reaction. I would not have guessed liking the orange, nor feeling meh for the blue. The strong like for the beige neutral and the greens is typical as is the disinterest in the dark grey, wine and lilac.
Oh, hilarious. Those lovely White Asparagus jeans are actually named Ponytail colour by the manufacturer. Where do they come up with the names? Maybe a palomino horse?
I love that association! I went horse crazy as a girl (only on a theoretical level, of course, as I had no horse) and I dreamed of having a Palomino someday!
I’m so glad you saw that! I meant to mention it, and forgot to. What a completely STUPID name for a color…
love,
Janice
I would wear the bamboo if it did not become too greenish or brownish…a bit more golden yellow. Like the others, I have seen these colors before, all lovely, but not new!
Love the bamboo1
White bamboo and Tornado caught my eye. I would be happy adding some pieces to a winter capsule that already has a fair share of Samba inspired pieces. I like rich colours in the winter and these flatter my natural colouring. I’m tired of black and navy and camel doesn’t suit me. I wear a lot of green and lighter colours in the summer months.
I love reading everyone’s comments. Colour is such an interesting concept, we love or hate certain colours mostly for the feelings they evoke. I found it interesting that you and others love the Samba cardigan coat thingy. To me it looks like a bathrobe, especially on the model on their website. Like my Nana used to say, “to each their own”. I love to see women of all ages expressing their personalities in their choice of colour and style. The only colour I would not wear in these collections is the orange, with my strawberry blonde hair I would look like a walking 🎃.
So interesting how colours evoke an emotional response! None of them gave me a particularly affirmative feel. The blue could go nondescript quickly, it’s what my mother would call ‘Air Force’ blue and doesn’t pack the punch of a good navy blue. The bamboo is a rare colour which is good as I could see it being worn only by a hazel green eyed blonde with olive toned skin which is an unusual colouring. To me all I see are muddied shades. The charcoal and WA would be good neutrals for some but not me. I loath green of any shade so spring green is out…the rest just look so….meh. I like my colours strong and clear….or black and white.
Like the others, I can see these in paint more than clothes. But I love the White Asparagus loafers you found, the Samba scarf is perfection for my best personal palette, and I wish that Bamboo sweater came in my size!
The white asparagus and summer green are very tempting. I’m over winter clothing and we haven’t hit a cold spell yet I’m in the SC Lowcountry for reference.
I continually reach for white and off white in the range of “white asparagus“. Muted whites.
My favourite dark neutral year round is charcoal grey- it goes with either black or navy (my other dark neutrals). When I need my comfort colours it’s always grey and white. Soothing and warm and relaxing.
In accents I like what I call Cranberry and they call Samba Sort of a cross between rusty wine and muted red.
While I wear blue it has to be a dusty version like periwinkle or denim. Needs a little grey or else pull towards teal.
Muted. Softened. A drop of something else. Not the pure clear colours.