2020 COLOR TRENDS
AS A COLOR ANALYST I ENJOY CONVERTING CLIENTS TO LIVE LIFE IN COLOR, WHICH IS PROVEN TO HELP WELL-BEING AND LIFT THE MOOD. THERE’S PLENTY OF WORK STILL TO BE DONE!
With the fashion shows well over, retailers, and manufacturers have decided which colors will fill the shops in Spring/summer 2020. According to color forecasters the colors chosen by designers are influenced by, well, everything in the zeitgeist: movies, political events, celebrities, scientific discovery, street style, and much more. Although widely varying styles appear in the collections, it’s easy to spot trends in color. So let’s get ahead of the game and check out what the choices will be.
Monochromatic looks of inky black, cool greys, and ice white will work well for formal work settings and are considered as investments in slow fashion, not being trend-led. Chic trouser suits (with white nodding to Bianca Jagger, John Travolta or John Lennon, take your pick!) or high-fashion city shorts suits, hot pants style. My top tip is to add a strong lipstick to add a pop of color when wearing these neutrals. Clients who come for color advice are amazed at the difference this makes to looking -and more importantly feeling- confident.
There will be opportunities to channel your inner earth mother with a continuation of ´70s vibes: think terracotta, rust, or the sands and camels of the desert. If you bought into the beige look of A/W 2019, hailed as the year’s
“Power Color” (truly, I’m not making that up!) it will blend in
well with these warm colors. Interestingly, variations of soft caramels are already available in luxe cashmere-layering outfits, perfect for inflight comfort, cleverly designed for easy changing, temperature control, more comfortable than denim, and smarter than athleisure.
Current autumn leaf looks such as saffron, turmeric, cinnamon, mustard, or anything from the spice rack, will rock on to enliven warm chocolates and earth browns. For full-on ´70s nostalgia look out for these colors in trousers, trouser suits, or midi skirts in corduroy, a fabric brought back in out of the cold and no longer a fashion faux pas, now elevated to smart casual business wear, whether in fine needlecord or heavy elephant cord. Plenty of choice! To stand out from the crowd, look out for neons and citrus brights: oranges, tangerines, limes, lemons through to buttery and sunshine yellows. Take it to the limit by wearing them head to toe in midi dresses, or choose blouses with statement, leg of mutton ´80s sleeves or blended or clashed in tie dyes and ombré.
If you believe that greens are good for you, you’re in luck. The most muted is a soft pistachio aka Pantone’s neo mint. I’ll have to purge memories of avocado bathroom suites in ´70s student flats to wear this look with pleasure, but hopefully you don’t have those associations. On the contrary, the soft grey-green sage, moss, olive deepening to khaki, and any military greens will get my vote, especially in leather trousers, dresses, and shirts. Just fabulous! A