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Hi there! I can't wait to discover what color is set to be 2026. Tell me everything!

Get ready, as every year beginning in 1999, Pantone selects a Color of the Year. This selection seeks to represent the zeitgeist—informing everything from our emotions and fashion choices to interior styling. Last year's selection was the darker neutral "Mocha Mousse," which came after the gentle and peachy "Peach Fuzz."

The latest choice, however, is particularly baffling. It is "a billowy white," labeled as a "ethereal and neutral white."

Laurie Pressman, VP of the Pantone Color Institute, remarked that it is "a key structural color … allowing all colors to stand out."

Hmm, Cloud Dancer… seriously, white? Could they be trolling us? Is white even a real color?

What is the best way to describe the color of clouds? Milk? While people often think of white as a color, every hue is at its core a range of visible light. It appears in a box of crayons, so in everyday terms the answer is yes.

If Pantone is pulling our leg is trickier to figure out. According to their release, Cloud Dancer combines easily with other colors, provides a calm backdrop, makes a minimalist statement, and radiates subtle elegance.

Feedback online, in contrast, has not been as kind. A number of observers have declared Pantone of being completely "out of touch." Fashion and trend forecaster Mandy Lee called it "disappointing." Some have even drawn parallels to coded promotion of problematic concepts seen in recent advertising.

Okay, it's to be hoped they're blissfully unaware that the timing is awkward to be pointedly celebrating whiteness... Therefore, how should I not exactly adjacent to a catwalk apply this trend in everyday routine? I just painted my ceiling in white paint, does that qualify?

It absolutely counts. So would your wireless speakers, tiles, or favorite mug.

It's interesting you mention runways, because many recent shows have been bold and fuzzy, featuring eco-friendly feathers on the runway.

All-white outfits made appearances, like always, in luxury shows—from structured tops to sleek suits. High-profile figures have also been spotted in pristine white outfits at prestigious shows.

The positive takeaway is: you probably already own something in this "discreet" color of the year. As Pressman, Cloud Dancer "embodies a greener option for the sustainability-minded," which might translate to avoiding the need to purchase new items at all.

SO, a fashion trend for the deeply unmotivated. An empty canvas, so to speak. A sanctuary of serene simplicity against the noise. I'm convinced, I'm sold. Are you planning a whiteout for your personal style?

Not a chance. Have you ever tried to clean grass stains from a white fabric? I could do without additional cleaning headaches in 2026.

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