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Greetings! I can't wait to find out what color has been chosen for 2026. What's the scoop?

Get ready, as every year since 1999, Pantone chooses a signature color. This pick seeks to represent the current cultural mood—influencing everything from our emotions and fashion choices to how we design our living spaces. Last year's color was the deep beige "a creamy brown," which came after the gentle and peachy "a delicate peach tone."

The latest selection, however, is particularly baffling. It is "an airy shade," which Pantone calls a "billowy, balanced white."

Laurie Pressman, the vice president of the Pantone Color Institute, remarked that it is "an essential foundational hue … enabling all colors to shine."

Interesting, Cloud Dancer… seriously, white? Is this a prank? Does white qualify as a distinct hue?

How does one characterize the color of clouds? Milk? Even though many view white as a color, the entire spectrum is at its core a spectrum of light waves. You can find it in a box of crayons, so for practical purposes the answer is yes.

If Pantone is pulling our leg is trickier to figure out. According to their release, Cloud Dancer mixes well with other colors, isn't overstimulating, declares simplicity, and projects quiet sophistication.

The public reaction, in contrast, has been less complimentary. Several voices have declared Pantone of being completely "tone-deaf." Style expert Mandy Lee called it "a let-down." Others have likened it to subtle advocacy of controversial ideas seen in other media.

Okay, hopefully they're happily ignorant that the timing is awkward to be pointedly celebrating whiteness... So, how can a regular person rarely near a fashion show use this information in my world? My kitchen ceiling is my ceiling in white paint, is that enough?

That definitely qualifies. So would your white headphones, bathtub, or ceramic plate.

The timing is curious you mention runways, as many recent shows have been bold and fuzzy, featuring plant-based fabrics on the runway.

The color white made appearances, as always, in luxury shows—from simple silk T-shirts to collared dresses. Well-known individuals have also been photographed in crisp all-white ensembles at major events.

The good news is: you likely already have pieces in this "understated" designated shade. As Pressman, Cloud Dancer "embodies a more sustainable choice for the sustainability-minded," which essentially suggests avoiding the need to purchase new items at all.

SO, a style movement for the inherently lazy. A blank page, so to speak. A haven of monochromatic zen within the chaos. Okay, I get it. Do you intend a whiteout for your closet?

Definitely not. Have you ever tried to get out grass stains from a white shirt? I could do without additional cleaning headaches in 2026.

I do have a pair of once-white Birkenstocks, and this classic footwear never go out of style.