What to Know About 2024’s Pantone Color of the Year – And How to Wear It Now
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On Thursday, Pantone made its annual announcement of its new color of the year. For 2024, it is….drumroll… “Peach Fuzz.”
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Described as “velvety,” the color was chosen to cater to a collective desire to nurture and enrich, according to the color experts at Pantone.
“In seeking a hue that echoes our innate yearning for closeness and connection, we chose a color radiant with warmth and modern elegance. A shade that resonates with compassion, offers a tactile embrace, and effortlessly bridges the youthful with the timeless,” said Leatrice Eiseman, Pantone executive director, in a news release on the new shade.
“Peach Fuzz” may be a distinct turn away from the 2023 Color of the Year: Viva Magenta, a hue that summarized this year’s Barbiecore mania. With less of a look-at-me quality and a distinct softness, the color implies introspection .
While not identical, the peach color is also very close to another shade of pink that dominated the trend landscape not that long ago: Millennial Pink. The color came to represent, among many things, a generation’s new view on gender and equity — it was Millennial Pink, after all, that reintroduced the idea of men wearing pink, years before they were signing up for Valentino’s PP Pink in 2022 or Barbie-adjacent Kencore in 2023.
Pantone’s return to a more muted color in the same palette family of pink shows just how massive of an influence the idea of the color pink has had on everyone. From Millennial pink to Barbiecore and back, pink has become the most influential color of our time.
Since Pantone’s experts go about deciding on their Color of the Year based on a worldwide scan of the shades that are already permeating the collective mindset, it makes sense that we’ve already seen plenty of “Peach Fuzz” out there. Take one of Rihanna’s maternity looks from from 2022, where the music artist went tone-on-tone with a peach leather dress and shearling topper (and matching jewelry and makeup). Or Dwayne Johnson, whose peach satin tuxedo jacket was one of the most memorable looks at the 2023 Oscars (it was described as “ballet pink” at the time).
The color has also been coursing through the fashion crowd, and there were plenty of examples at fashion weeks this year. “Peach Fuzz” looks great when done in a satin fabric, and we can expect to see plenty more of it used from designers in coming collections, from suiting to slinky satin dresses and skirts. We are also likely to see the color done in spring ’24’s texture trend, in pieces such as chunky knit sweaters, woven raffia bags and accents, and maybe some Prada-inspired organza dresses and tops. And the hue is sure to turn up in some footwear collections, in sandals and slingbacks for spring and summer collections, likely in satin fabrics. Alternatively, Bottega Veneta has already tapped the color for its Rubber Flash Clog, for a sportier look.
We can also expect “Peach Fuzz” to be combined with silver, a metallic trend that keeps gaining momentum, particularly after Beyoncé’s “Virgo silver” wardrobe during the Renaissance tour.
How to Wear “Peach Fuzz” Now
To get a jump start on the 2024 color, try finding the hue in pieces like chunky knit sweaters, embellished pencil midi skirts, delicate embroidered tops, work-friendly blazers and slingback kitten heels. When done in satins and sparkly embellishments, the hue feels holiday ready, too.
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About the author:
Shannon Adducci is the Style Director at FN, reporting on runway and fashion weeks, trends, celebrity style and fashion’s role in pop culture, diversity and inclusion, sustainability, gender identity and women’s equity issues. She also directs FN’s cover shoots and visual packages, contributing to the publication’s video direction. Prior to Footwear News, Shannon held positions at Departures, Billboard and Modern Luxury, was a celebrity stylist and specialized in fine and estate jewelry. She is an avid collector of vintage fashion, shoes and jewelry.
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