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Hello! I can't wait to find out what color is set to be 2026. Tell me everything!

Get ready, as every year for over two decades, Pantone announces a Color of the Year. This choice seeks to represent the spirit of the times—shaping everything from how we feel and our wardrobe selections to interior styling. 2025's color was the deep beige "Mocha Mousse," following the subtly inviting "a fuzzy pastel."

This year's selection, in contrast, is even more puzzling. It is "Cloud Dancer," which Pantone calls a "soft and structural white."

Laurie Pressman, vice-president of the Pantone Color Institute, stated that it is "a key structural color … enabling all colors to shine."

Well, Cloud Dancer sounds… seriously, white? Are they joking? Can white truly be considered a real color?

Can you even describe the color of clouds? A blank page? While some consider white as a color, every hue is essentially a range of visible light. It appears in a set of colored pencils, so I'd argue the answer is yes.

Whether Pantone is pulling our leg is harder to determine. According to their release, Cloud Dancer combines easily with other colors, provides a calm backdrop, makes a minimalist statement, and projects refined calm.

Feedback online, in contrast, has proven more critical. Some commentators have declared Pantone of being completely "out of touch." Fashion and trend forecaster Mandy Lee labeled it "underwhelming." Critics have drawn parallels to subtle advocacy of problematic concepts seen in other media.

I see, it's to be hoped they're happily ignorant that this isn't the best moment to be overly emphasizing the color white... Anyway, how might someone not exactly adjacent to a catwalk incorporate this trend in everyday routine? My kitchen ceiling is my ceiling in white paint, does that qualify?

Yes, that certainly counts. The same goes for your white headphones, bathtub, or ceramic plate.

The timing is curious you mention catwalks, since many this season's presentations have been bold and fuzzy, featuring eco-friendly feathers on the runway.

The color white were present, as per usual, in luxury shows—from simple silk T-shirts to collared dresses. High-profile figures have also been seen in monochromatic white attire at prestigious shows.

On the bright side is: chances are you already possess items in this "subtle" chosen hue. In the words of Pressman, Cloud Dancer "embodies a greener option for the environmentally aware," which could mean not having to buy new items at all.

SO, a style movement for the deeply unmotivated. A fresh start, in a manner of speaking. A cocoon of calming neutrality within the chaos. Okay, I get it. Will you be creating a monochrome palette for your personal style?

Definitely not. Do you know how hard it is to remove tomato sauce stains from a white shirt? I could do without extra stain-removal drama in 2026.

I do have a pair of once-white sandals, and such staples are always in vogue.