Fall Fashion 2011: Feeling a Little Blue? Designers Choose A Cool Accent Color

Badgley Mischka

I thought I'd read somewhere that orange was the color for 2011 so as I was scrolling through this week's runway pics I thought I see a lot of the carroty hue. Instead I noticed a cool and vibrant blue popping up in and amongst the traditional winter black, grey and beige tones.

A couple of years ago, while working for the Journal, we did a story on the Pantone colors of the year. That year (was it 2008?) the colors were blue and brown. As the year went on, and even beyond that, those two colors in combination with each other not only showed up in fashion wear but also in a big way in home decor. This year, Pantone has chosen the color honeysuckle (see link) but I didn't see much of that color in the shows either.

Douglas Hannant

When you read Pantone's press release (and I suggest doing just that since it makes a compelling case for the pinkish color choice) I noticed that last year's color was turquoise. Perhaps the designers are just catching up? I'd find that hard to believe but there it is in black and, er, blue.

So a vibrant blue it is, a happy choice for me since I have a lot already in my wardrobe. I'm a bit disappointed on the lack of orange but maybe it'll appear in more of our summer wear maybe paired with the cheerful honeysuckle....a color scheme reminiscent of the 'late 1960s'.

A couple of 'cool' examples are illustrated here all images are from style.com.

http://www.pantone.com/pages/pantone/Pantone.aspx?pg=20821&ca=4

Carolina Herrera

Oscar de la Renta