Pantone unveils Pantone Spring '14 fashion color report

Released to coincide with New York Fashion Week, the PANTONE Fashion Color Report features the top 10 colors for women’s and men’s fashion for spring 2014, along with designer sketches, quotes and headshots

“This season, consumers are looking for a state of thoughtful, emotional and artistic equilibrium,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. “While this need for stability is reflected in the composition of the palette, the inherent versatility of the individual colors allows for experimentation with new looks and color combinations.”

The top colors for women’s fashion for spring 2014 are:

The top colors for men’s fashion for spring 2014 are:

Women’s Color Palette

Designers take a modern twist on the traditional for spring 2014 by pairing soft pastels with vivid brights to create a colorful equilibrium. Inspired by a mixture of blooming flowers, travels abroad, and strong, confident women, designers use color to refresh, revive and defy conventional wisdom.

Three very adaptable pastels sit on one end of the palette, and, because we are so accustomed to seeing them as nature’s background, they can be creatively combined with any other color in the spectrum.

Placid Blue, like a pictureperfect, tranquil and reassuring sky, induces a sense of peaceful calmness, while Violet Tulip, a romantic, vintage purple, evokes wistful nostalgia. Similar to the verdant shade of springtime foliage, Hemlock, a summery, ornamental green, provides a decorative touch that’s very different from the greens of recent seasons. Pair any of these versatile pastels with a bolder hue for an au courant look.

Sand, a lightly toasted and amiable neutral, conjures images of the beach and the carefree days of summer. Try pairing Sand with Hemlock for perfect, natural balance. Paloma serves as a quintessential neutral, interesting enough to be worn alone or combined with any color for sophisticated poise.