This is the Color of the Year for 2026

"The institute, which is considered a leading authority on color, forecasting trends and advising brands, described the shade as a billowy, balanced white imbued with a feeling of serenity. As technology's grip on daily life tightens, Cloud Dancer represents a calming influence in a frenetic society, rediscovering the value of measured consideration and quiet reflection, Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the institute, told CNN."

"The color is associated with new beginnings and signifies our desire for a fresh start, Eiseman said. For the institute's team of experts, everything is filtered through the lens of color. So every year since 1999, the program has sought to highlight how what is taking place in our macro-culture at a moment in time is expressed through the language of color, Laurie Pressman, the institute's vice-president, told CNN."

"To choose a color of the year, they sift through current cultural, political and style references, settle on a color family and then focus on the precise shade paying close attention to its name, too. The color name is critical. The minute you hear a name describing color, you instantly conjure up an image, Pressman said. This precise shade of white, with its equal balance of cool and warm undertones, was carefully chosen, she added."

"Had we gone for a white that was more optically bright, not only does it take away from the natural feeling and honesty and authenticity that we're looking for it almost speaks to sterility and isolationism, because it's cold, she said. While different shades of white have long been ubiquitous in fashion, Cloud Dancer specifically embodies billowing silhouettes and natural fabrics like feathers, Eiseman said. Some of these trends are already"

Pantone selected Cloud Dancer as the 2026 Color of the Year, describing it as a billowy, balanced white that conveys serenity. The shade embodies new beginnings and a desire for fresh starts while offering a calming counterpoint to pervasive technology and frenetic daily life. The institute filters cultural, political and style cues to choose a color family, then pinpoints a precise shade and name. The name and undertone balance are critical because they evoke specific images and feelings; a too-optically-bright white would feel sterile and isolating. Cloud Dancer aligns with billowing silhouettes and natural fabrics such as feathers in fashion.

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