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Hi there! I can't wait to learn what color has been chosen for 2026. Fill me in on the details!

Prepare yourself, since every year beginning in 1999, Pantone chooses a Color of the Year. This pick aims to capture the spirit of the times—informing everything from our emotions and our wardrobe selections to interior styling. 2025's selection was the rich tan "a creamy brown," following the gentle and peachy "a fuzzy pastel."

The latest announcement, though, is particularly baffling. It is "an airy shade," described by a "soft and structural white."

Laurie Pressman, the vice president of the Pantone Color Institute, remarked that it is "a key structural color … enabling all colors to be highlighted."

Hmm, Cloud Dancer… hold on, just white? Could they be trolling us? Does white qualify as a proper color?

Can you even define the color of clouds? A blank page? Although some consider white as a color, all color is at its core a range of visible light. It appears in a set of colored pencils, so for practical purposes the answer is yes.

Whether Pantone is out of touch is harder to determine. The company states, Cloud Dancer mixes well with other colors, isn't overstimulating, makes a minimalist statement, and projects subtle elegance.

The public reaction, on the other hand, has proven more critical. A number of observers have declared Pantone of being completely "out of touch." Style expert Mandy Lee described it as "disappointing." Others have likened it to implied endorsement of problematic concepts seen in other media.

I see, it's to be hoped they're cheerfully oblivious that now is a sensitive time to be explicitly championing whiteness... Therefore, how should I who doesn't follow a catwalk apply this trend in my world? I recently coated my ceiling with white, does that qualify?

Yes, that certainly counts. So would your white headphones, sink, or linen sheets.

It's funny you mention fashion shows, since many this season's presentations have been vibrantly colorful, featuring eco-friendly feathers on the runway.

White ensembles featured prominently, as always, in designer collections—from simple silk T-shirts to sleek suits. Celebrities and public figures have also been photographed in monochromatic white ensembles at public appearances.

On the bright side is: chances are you already own something in this "understated" color of the year. According to Pressman, Cloud Dancer "embodies a more sustainable choice for the eco-conscious," which could mean not having to buy fresh products at all.

FINALLY, a fashion trend for the inherently lazy. A blank page, so to speak. A sanctuary of calming neutrality within the noise. Alright, I'm sold. Do you intend a all-white theme for your wardrobe?

Absolutely not. Have you ever tried to remove tomato sauce stains from a light garment? I could do without extra stain-removal drama in 2026.

I do have a pair of now off-white Birkenstocks, and such staples remain perpetually fashionable.