Fashion Colors for Spring 2011

As any fashionista knows, every season comes with its own custom color palette. These are the colors dreamed up by designers and agreed upon as emerging trends, up to a year in advance. Those colors then find their way down the runways and eventually into stores, where they're displayed as the "latest," even though insiders have known about them all year.

According to worldwide color authority Pantone, the top 10 fashion colors for spring 2011 will be a blend of muted brights - with a few reliable neutrals thrown in for good measure. This spring's palette also features a pink neutral (Silver Peony), which could pair nicely with transitional winter pieces to add a little light.

Pantone's fashion colors for spring 2011 are:

Honeysuckle - blue-based carnation pink

Coral Rose - orange with milky undertones

Peapod - vibrant seafoam green

Beeswax - toned-down yellow

Silver Peony - barely-there baby pink

Russet - sienna brown

Regatta - light ocean blue

Blue Curacao - between turquoise and Tiffany blue

Lavender - more pigmented than "baby" lavender hues

Silver Cloud - airy light gray

The moods of the fashion colors for spring 2011 veer somewhere between tropical and classic English floral, and could be bent either way depending on your style. Shades like Pantone's Peapod and Honeysuckle look like Palm Beach resortwear holdovers, while mixing Silver Peony and Russet will help you dress for an afternoon tea.

Bold yellow was a fixture in 2010, but the muted maize shade of Pantone's Beeswax feels a little more appropriate for this year. Pure yellow is a tough color to pull off without looking overdone, but the slightly mellowed beeswax tone lends itself to being worn in larger doses. Expect to see this on sundresses and rompers, lightweight sweaters and sensible spring shoes. This color will work well for vintage and indie wardrobes, and will show up from Tory Burch and Michael Kors.

Silver Peony is a feminine neutral for updating a work wardrobe, or for wearing to a warm-weather wedding. This is a grown-up take on ballerina pink, and will provide a nice alternative to white for the warmer months. This shade will probably be featured prominently by "safe bet" retailers like Banana Republic, J. Crew and Ann Taylor, but ignored by hyper-trendy stores and discount shops. Find a slinky sundress in this color, and you'll get one last wear out of last year's gladiator sandals.

Honeysuckle, Lavender, Beeswax and Coral Rose will likely be the standout fashion colors of spring 2011. The neutral shades aren't summery enough to be full-on trends, and the blue and green shades are a little too reminiscent of 2010's teal phenomenon. Still, this season's trendy colors generally harmonize very well and should make for some very sweet spring fashions.

Source:

"Top 10 Fashion Colors - Pantone Fashion Color Report Spring 2011." Pantone.