Pantone Colors F/W 2020/21

And a Surprise…

Happy day, reader dear!

I hope this finds you safe and sound! And that you are enjoying the tail end of the season. Are you preparing for the next?

Heading into the shoulder seasons of fall and spring brings not only a shift in perspective, but a shift in color as we prepare for the cold or heat to come! I know I’ve been looking forward to fall for weeks, and finding myself drawn toward fall colors. As if wearing them (or displaying them) will hasten fall’s coming. Silly me!

You know I love fall. AND I love autumn colors. (Heck, I love ALL colors!) But the crayon shades we associate with the season are just the tip of the color iceberg. We need to include the colors designers showcased on the runways back in January and February. These often reflect the color trends predicted by Pantone months before. (January and February seem so long ago!) Fashion shows and color trends seem like foolishness this year, but fashion and color respond to what’s happening in the world, so it will be interesting to see where they take us in the coming year. That’s why I want to document what was predicted to track as we move forward into 2021…

So what DID Pantone predict for F/W 2020/21?

This! Some of the usual suspects for F/W, and then some odd ducks. Like that florescent yellow-green. And three apricot-blush tones that we often associate with spring more than fall. If I take into account the 1980’s style resurgence, there’s a LOT that makes sense. Like the florescent yellow and orange, and the deep greens and wines. And even Classic Blue (2020’s Color of the Year) has an 80’s vibe if you take it just a little brigher…

Let’s break these down and look at them by undertone. First the warms:

This year’s warms are really wearable! (Except for maybe Green Sheen) I could see a gorgeous capsule wardrobe pulled from these… Boy, I LOVE these colors,even if they don’t love me. That’s okay! There’s more to fall than orange, brown, and olive. Wines, teals, and deep greens can say fall, too! And we have those in the cools:

Fewer cool options for those of us with cool complexions… Not a surprise. It’s been running like that all year! Let’s look at the connections…

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The first image is F/W 2020/21, the second, S/S 2020. Both run predominantly warm. The new colors (fewer in number) are less stark and more subtle. We see a shift away from the blues towards the wines.

The surprise? I grabbed these images months ago… Back in February when they released to the public. And haven’t looked at them until writing this post. What caught me off guard was how these colors played into my own choices for my Fall Capsule. What do I mean? Take a look…

I’m almost embarrassed! I look like a trend chaser! Oh, well. There’s nothing new under the sun. And there’s certainly no such thing as a new color! The only real change for me is the addition of green. Green has been on the rise (In varying shades.) for over a year. I’ve just been waiting for one that works for me!

So how about you? What do you think of the new colors for Fall/Winter 2020/21? Any there you’ll play with? Are any staples for you? If so, this is your year to stock up! Is there a combination or a color you’d like to see worked into a capsule? Do you change your colors with the seasons? Do tell! There’s plenty of room in the comments below…

Stylishly yours,