June 26, 2024
Some of us are diligently wearing our well-crafted wardrobes regularly, but still have… an itch? a yearning? for just a little bit of an update. Something fresh (for us). A bit of a wake-up call for our usual outfits…
And Pantone delivers, with ten colors that they isolated from what they observed at the London winter fashion week. Does this mean that these colors will be readily available or easy to find? Heck no! But they do give us ideas, and ideas are where all beautifully-dressed women start!
Oddly, there is NO shade of pink here.
Please note that I really don’t think anybody will wear ALL five items in these images at one time. I’m not sure that you should buy all five, unless you’ve got a serious case of smitten.
Although if I were to want to wear all five items together, these “Sunburn” things would certainly make sense!
I’m quite taken with this pleated scarf – which comes in other colors…
A dress might be a good way to experiment with a color. At least it would work well for me – would you dare it?
Matching this shade of blue exactly is an exhausting, and ultimately impossible, project. So just find some beautiful light blue things that make you smile…
If you look good in orange, jump on it!
Dress – Boden; earrings- Talbots; scarf – Nordstrom; wristlet – Cole Haan; sandals – Amalfi by Rangoni
This yellow shirt is GORGEOUS… even if you are nervous about wearing yellow, picture the shirt layered over a white tee and white pants, or a white sleeveless casual dress…
Linen shirt – J.Crew; earrings – Carolina Herrera; scarf – Jessie Zhao New York; bag & bangle – Fable England; sandals – Toms
This next color – it’s taupe. Pantone never really gives us an indication of how light or dark “their” color should be, so I take full liberties with that! Taupe is a timeless neutral, if it appeals, you can always wear it in accessories, or a sweater like this, layered over almost any color in the rainbow…
Linen sweater – The White Company; earrings – Saule Label; scarf – Nordstrom; espadrilles – Toni Pons; bag – Hobo
If you love purple, you’ve probably already discovered that you have to be pretty flexible with matching pieces! That said, these things would be beautiful with navy, or grey…
If I were updating a casual summer wardrobe, I might be tempted to just grab all five of these things; the tee is pretty relaxed, but for summer it’s perfect…
Tee – Zelle; earrings – Sif Jakobs Jewellery; scarf – Nordstrom; sandals – Naot; backpack – The Dust Company
This last group is very different; I hear from people all the time who are considering adding grey to their wardrobe, so I was thinking of them when I chose these things.
The big choice one must make when adding grey to a wardrobe: is it going to be “warm” grey (i.e. with a yellowish undertone) or “cool” grey (with a blueish undertone)? These items are warm, in keeping with Pantone’s color suggestion.
If grey is something you’re considering, I strongly suggest a traditional sweatshirt as a place to start. A tee shirt, or a sweater, are also easy things to “test drive” in a new color.
I’m including the sling bag because I’m a current BIG FAN of these – when I’m carrying a lot of stuff, or pushing a wheelchair, it’s wonderful to have my hands free and nothing banging down around my hips. I wear mine diagonally across my chest, which probably isn’t flattering, but that’s not the point! It’s nice to not worry about having anything stolen, and to be able to reach into my bag without turning away from what’s in front of me. I suspect these may go “out of style” in a heartbeat, but I also suspect that I’m going to carry mine for years!
Cashmere sweater – L.L.Bean; cotton/cashmere crewneck – L.L.Bean; tunic – Lands’ End; bag – Baggallini; sneakers – Taos Footwear
I suppose it’s obvious that any shade of purple is going to be my favorite, but I am surprisingly fond of Misted Yellow. Maybe because we’re in the middle of a thunderstorm?
Which would you consider, and which do you abhor?
love,
Janice
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I like these post always, thank you Janice! So calming to look at the beautiful finds you put together with such care.
I’m surprised to see two of my test colors, yellow mist and the gray storm and the other one that is between the peach (refuse to call it sunburn, it sounds no fun at all) and the pureed pumpkin. Funny because I would never consider either of these (basic colors are navy/denim, mid to light blue, pinks, teals, white and a dash of red). BUT, there was a sale on my favorite pants (jeggings actually) and came in these colors (light yellow, soft coral and mid coolish grey) so I bought them thinking I would keep them for my mom, and then I tried them on and shockingly they go well with a lot of my go-to items! The biggest surprise is the light yellow pants that I’m wearing a lot with light blue and white. They became my summer pants, so cheery, and since it’s not near my face it works! Before this I would run from thinking about colored pants. The grey ones I’ll save for returning to the office in September, surprised too that they go well with most of my colors. I’m even liking these colored pants more than the beige ones I gave my mom and wanted to find (they were available too and I didn’t like the idea of beige anymore…). I think I had a delayed whapage XD.
Cheers and blessings all.
Arwn7
Your yellow blue and white outfit sounds like it’s perfect for spring and summer. So cheerful!
I’m also trying out peach/coral right now. The first dress in sunburn looks so floaty and lovely, but the photo of it on the model isn’t nearly as appealing. To me, if they can’t make it look good on the model, what chance do I have?
Jerib – you might be surprised. I have a friend who tells me I look so much better in my clothing than it looks on their models (its a particular brand) she actually presuaded me to post some of my outfits on instagram. It might be worth a try.
On the model it looks like a nightgown!
XD hahaha, that’s usually how I think!
The eggplant and pumpkin definitely put me in mind of fall. What a great idea to use the purple with my navy and grey. Now that I am an Old Woman, (67) I should wear purple, lol. I also like the almond milk. I hope to see some taupe in the shops this fall. Great accessories, too.
Now that I am an old woman (I will be 64 on Saturday!), I will have purple highlights in my hair! And oh yeah, I will wear purple too…
Honestly, I went through MY ENTIRE LIFE without ever receiving a complement about my appearance. None. Ever.
But then I put purple highlights in my hair – I started during the pandemic, just for the amusement value to myself, as much as anything. And now PEOPLE STOP ME ON THE STREET to tell me how much they love my hair. Every day I’m out, I get smiles, thumbs up and lovely comments.
Purple wins!
love,
Janice
I’m 69 and have had light purplelavender for a few years now. The students love it and yes, I get compliments all the time out walking and drive throughs. It’s a wash in conditioner, so really it’s just the gray that picks up the color, leaving the pepper of my hair as is. It looks very “natural” and not over saturated/dyed. I love it. And I wear my purple hair with any color clothing…a friend commented there were colors she wouldn’t wear with purple hair. I treat it like a neutral…
When I was working we would get a ‘wrap on the knuckles’ by a superior clinician for referring to a patient as an ‘old man/woman/person’ whether in chart notes or in conversation. The acceptable term was ‘older’ or even ‘senior’. I didn’t really like either term so went with using exact age ie This 89yr old female/male/person….
I’m 69 and never refer to my self as an old woman. It’s ageist, self deprecating, and a little sad, not the image I wish to project to the world…but then I was raised in a family where people returned to school to get post grad degrees in their sixties, an aunt is performing with amateur improv comedy troupes in her 90’s, and another ( my father!) took off to Bermuda in his 90’s to fulfill a long held dream. What the heck is ‘old’ anyway??? What makes us call ourselves ‘old’ and not ‘changing’ or ‘evolving’ or even the ubiquitous ‘entering a new season’? Why are you calling yourself ‘old’ at 64(???) another deems herself ‘old’ at 67? It is, after all, just a number, not a flag to fly or (please no!) a cautionary warning to others to start accepting bad behaviour…or else!
..and please Lord deliver me from that dreary ageist poem about wearing purple and red hats! Upon reading it sounds like the ravings of a day drinker, definitely not the image I want my friends, family or grandchildren to have of me or of other women in this cohort.
Brava to you for the purple streaks! I say that’s an evolving woman who is flaunting ageism not engaging in it.
Ally, this is magnificent. Everyone should take this deeply into their heart…
love,
Janice
First to Janice Happy Birthday.
Then to Ally. I appreciate your points. Some might find it denigrating, and that is not considerate. However. I Love being a *Little Old Lady*. But here’s the thing… I’m not really that old, I’m in very good health, so I kind of find it amusing to refer to myself that way. I dare say in 10 or 15 years I might not find it so funny!
Cheers!
I don’t find the term old woman to be ageist, deprecating or sad. I’m truly delighted to have lived long enough to become an old woman. Happy birthday for Saturday, Janice.
I rather like to call ladies my age “queenagers,”
Ally’s reply made me laugh. I’ll be 73 in August, it’s good to see other readers are around my age. There’s the term “a woman of a certain age” but that’s too much of a mouthful. People can be the same age and have aged very differently. Some has to do with health and lifestyle but a lot about attitude. I’ve also had a lot of role models about having a full life as we get older. While I’m not big on the purple and red thing, I did send each of my 4 younger sisters a bouquet of purple and red flowers when they turned 50. A “welcome to the club” type of thing that was well-received.
Purple, blue and grey for me. I wonder whether the shops will be full of orange again in the autumn. I wish that buyers broadened the spectrum to include purple a bit more. Sigh…
I agree. I am always on the hunt for “true” purple clothes. They are few and far between.
Rainforest for me! For autumn. Because of the amount of orange I’ve been wearing as accents lately that pumpkin scarf is tempting. Reminding myself I have at least two other orange print scarves. I had to laugh, I’ve started a new blanket and I’m just loving the colors. Yesterday it dawned on me its the same colors as in my wardrobe. duh.
Young lady here! I too love a sling bag across the chest! I saw a stylist online say it can be a great way to give the illusion of length and a little waist definition too!
I think mine just looks like a lump parked on my upper torso, but I really do love how functional it is. Every time I carry/wear it, I grow a little bit more delighted by how well it works…
hugs,
Janice
As a 64 year old who has had three cervical discs replaced and has chronic lower back pain, the crossbody bag is the only bag I can carry. I think it is beneficial for anyone with my issues or those who want to be hands-free. So I’m guessing they are here to stay! 🤞🏻
Janice, I love my sling bag, especially when flying, Everything is right there, passport, small wallet, sunglasses, tissues and lipstick. For flying, I wear it under a sweater or jacket so that it does not count as a personal item. It may not look the best, but, I never thought a crossbody bag looks that good.
Unfortunately, I love all the colors. Terribly difficult for me to choose just one or two! That is why I have such trouble with a capsule wardrobe. My base is navy, so for me, everything goes with navy, except black.
Hugs to you,
Lorraine
My sister, a well-seasoned traveler, swears by her Baggalini which she wears as a belt bag. Lucky her to still be trim enough to do that in her 60s while a belt bag would draw attention to my belly. I see younger women wearing these as crossbody bags. This is not the best look if you are “busty” like me. So I’ll make the belt as long as possible to wear the bag to the side under my arm. Then you can slide it to the front to access the contents.
Warm grey is a pretty easy neutral to use as a canvas for so many bright colors. I love it with my bright, warm clear colors.
I laughed when I read your “heck no” – that we have no guarantees of seeing these colors everywhere. A few seasons back, I recall getting excited over a beautiful clear red with a hint of yellow, but it never made an appearance.
I can’t see that “rain forest” green without thinking of a Heineken bottle. Pantone should let TVF readers name their colors.
They could have a contest! The most accurate name, the funniest, the most evocative… Oh, they need us to work there!
hugs,
Janice
Yikes. I favor cool bright tones. The only one of these I would wear is wave ride. Good thing I’m not too worried about the “in” colors of the year. Still it’s great that you are keeping your readers up to date on what we’ll be seeing in the stores.
I love to do these posts, even though they are maybe the most time-consuming ones I do. The actual idea that these are “Pantone Colors” isn’t nearly as important to me as just being given 10 seemingly random colors upon which I build little accent families. Spending hours browsing accessories isn’t a chore!
hugs,
Janice
I am returning to you after a long absence and going off on tangents in trying to put together a cohesive, fun wardrobe. You really are the best in capsule wardrobes and I love your taste in clothes and accessories. So I am here to stay. I am 71 and retired last year. Since I don’t go out much, my wardrobe consists of leggings and sweatpants. I wear jeans when I do go out in public. But I feel like I need to elevate things a bit. I think I am going to pull together the pieces for a common wardrobe and add to it with colorful accessories as I go along through the seasons. That should keep things interesting and give me the variety I crave. I love the purple Born loafers and the pumpkin scarf. I could see adding both to a neutral wardrobe at different times depending on my mood. As I am trying to get a handle on my own style and path going forward, I think a wardrobe of neutrals with interesting accessories will be my sweet spot. After looking at others and their approach to building wardrobes, I appreciate you even more and do believe that you are the best resource for me. Thank you for what you do. Take care.
Congrats on your retirement! Enjoy this time to rediscover who you are, how you want to spend your time, likes, dislikes, etc. I retired not quite 2 years ago and now have no-makeup days when I stay home and mostly wear comfort clothes. But I get mileage out of my nicer clothes when I go out to be with family and friends. Have fun reimagining your wardrobe!
Cherry tomato! My favorite color. I also love the pumpkin, eggplant and rain forest. I’ve been told that deep blue green is my best color. So lots of hopes for fall. I love colors so these posts are a visual treat.
Pantone’s “Sunburn” and my very pale skin’s interpretation are two very different things. 😂 🔴
I love all of the cool colours in this post and, though orange doesn’t work near my face, I would happily invest in the pumpkin handbag and sandals.
I hear you on the “Sunburn” color! If I worked at Pantone, I’d name a color “Sunburn” but they would rename it to “Crimson Lobster.”
🤛🏻
I hear ya!
Big yes to Cherry Tomato, then Misted Yellow which would work for many. The neutrals – Almond Milk and Storm Front – are great light neutral choices which I would also wear. Love how you’ve found items in all these 10 Pantone colors.
These posts take ages to do – finding just the right thing isn’t a quick project. And I’m pretty picky, which doesn’t help!
hugs,
Janice
Rain Forest green and Wave Ride blue get the thumbs up from me in this grouping. I wear the Sunburn peachy color in the version of the bag quite a bit in summer, and this is the only time of year yellow (lighter than the Misted Yellow here) makes it into my rotation. Yellow + shades of blue is a favorite of mine.
Would I test drive a new color in a dress? On the plus side, if it’s a one-and-one summer dress, matching isn’t an issue – you can always pair with metallic or nude-to-you shoes. But for me it would have to be a spectacularly well-fitting dress to be a true test of the color and not the dress itself because I find dresses difficult to fit. I would probably go the t-shirt route to test a color because the fit is easier to fudge than a dress (if you are open to futzing with different tucks, etc.) and the price point is low enough to test a couple different colors in a season if you want to.
Of course I am a huge proponent of testing a new color with secondhand/thrifted items! You can get a higher quality piece at a lower price point, which is perfect, and if you try it and donate it back, you haven’t really cost the planet anything (if that makes sense).
Every year I become more aware of the nuances of a color as it shows up in any given piece of clothing or accessory, which in some ways makes it harder for me to pick favorite wardrobe colors categorically. I am still all over pretty much anything in the Blue and Blue-Green sections of the color wheel, but in other color families, my favorites are so specific. There is a certain strawberry red that I absolutely LOVE in linen and some woven cotton fabrics but am much less enamored of in knits and will totally pass by in shinier materials. I would have an entire grouping of purple if it were that just perfect somewhat saturated light purple that isn’t too icy, too pale, or too muted. Etc. Etc.
That’s a big ditto from me about the fabric making a difference, and so many colours look purely beautiful in linen, but not so good when made shiny, greyed, iced, metallicked, etc. I’m the same about yarn. It makes such a difference what type of yarn the colour is being applied to.
I went out for morning tea a while back, and there was a table of about 12 women, all wearing red and purple, and everybody in some sort of hat (floppy, fascinator, knitted, lots of variety). They were having a marvellous time, and increased the apparent happiness rating of everyone around them.
I see those groups from time to time; while it’s not my style, I can’t help but smile at how happy they always seem to be!
hugs,
Janice
How Cheery!!
I came close to writing something frivolous about being 60. Glad I didn’t. During my 60’s I was still in a job of helping people with serious problems, and also helping a family member with their health problems. I was plain tired! Actually felt older in my 60’s than I do in my 80’s. Ok, on to the great purple with the unoriginal name of Eggplant! The purple paisley scarf has me humming Purple Rain. Would love to have that scarf, wafting in the breeze, but not sure about the cost-per-wear ratio for me. Janice, I get compliments when wearing purple, too. And at the oddest times. Its great!! Cheers to everyone this Wednesday morning.
So glad to see what taupe looked like! Haha. I can see how that could be a great neutral for people with a medium contrast in their personal coloring. Maybe I should try something.
Pantone colors. Sunburn? Perhaps the people who chose that name have never had a sunburn! The yellow and pumpkin orange are 2 of my French 5’s from last year. And I still like them!
I adore Rain Forest and Eggplant and I’m hoping there are lots of these colors in the stores this fall! Just ordered the J.Crew linen cutwork shirt in white using your link, Janice. Hope you get some compensation for that. It is just gorgeous. Wishing you a very happy 64th birthday this weekend!
Blue Wave and Cherry tomato are my favourites, followed by misted yellow and storm front. I can’t get behind ‘sunburn’ as a colour name, especially in this heat it just seems so wrong.
Cherry Tomato, Rainforest, and the dark shades of Eggplant. I have fair skin and dark hair and saturated colors suit me best.
Several commenters mentioned receiving (or not receiving) compliments. Please, if you see someone wearing a lovely outfit or a beautiful necklace or a delightful scarf – tell them! Yesterday I wore a fairly new black and white top and got a compliment at the art museum – and at the grocery store! I was thrilled. Let’s build each other up whenever we can.
Most of these colors are just not for me. I look best and enjoy wearing bright, clear, cool-leaning colors, and most of these are not that. Wave Ride is the only color I would jump on, but I do find Rainforest Green intreaguing. I’ve become interested in trying yellow, but it would have to be just the right clear yellow. Perhapse a French 5 in that this summer…
Frankly, I’m a warm tone person. I like the cherry tomato and the pureed pumpkin, but the other ones, not so much. I could see mixing the two red/orange colors with deeper khaki than the almond milk. I think that, if I had silver hair and blue eyes, I’d be all over this color collection. But, with my hazel eyes and warm light brown hair, it just isn’t my vibe.
such beautiful colors.
Yes, I also wear this dark green in the summer.