Color of the Year 2026: Cloud Dancer

The color of the year has been chosen, and it's a controversial shade of white. The pallid color card has been acting as a backdrop for the public to project their thoughts, fears, and complaints onto. One primary complaint is that a white shade is boring, it's the epitome of “beige” aesthetic, but I don't see things that way at all.

Since 1999, Pantone has been selecting a single trend color each year. This color is usually part of a larger color story with multiple palettes. The first color of the year, cerulean, was chosen to represent a clear sky as we entered a new century. There have been many shades along the way, but this is the first selection of a white shade.

In past years, I've noticed that the public's perception of the color of the year forecast doesn't always focus on the same thing I notice from a designer’s standpoint. For example, people forget that this is not necessarily a decision based on the fashion industry, housewares and interface design are always part of the equation. Although the COTY is meant to reflect the current culture, it is not always symbolic. This year in particular, I've seen a lot of people claim that the lack of hue is some sort of political statement or social commentary.  Of course it is, it always is to some extent. But this year is no different than any other in the sense that Pantone tries very hard to reflect what is happening in the zeitgeist. When current events bleed into fashion and style, they'll pop up in these color trends. 

We've seen the manifestation of quieter fashion lead to a lot more neutrals and shades of beige. Even in children's home decor, you see a trend towards gray in the mid 2010s shifting into beige tones. Beige has come to represent a joyless society for many people. Hayley DeRoche started a trend in 2021/2022 showcasing "sad beige things for sad beige babies.” showcasing how swears that had trendy earth tones above everything, depriving a child of gleeful color in their toy box. We saw so much beige, that it was no surprise when Pantone named a shade of brown as the color of 2025. Even when not using the exact Rosy shade of cocoa brown, shops were filled almost exclusively with warm tones and shades of brown ranging from rust to ochre to oatmeal. 

Last year's embrace of warm tones is an important part of this color story. It's lovely for most people, but some of us have trouble wearing beige. I personally have been hoping to see some cool tones available soon. A lot of people feel this way. When Pantone predicts that white is the color of the year, they're not saying that there will be a lack of chromatic hues. They're telling you that we no longer are using beige as our primary neutral tone. 

Cloud dancer might be a slightly warm off-white shade, but in its main presentation, it's paired with a light blue sky. Pantone is telling you that it's time to use a cooler toned neutral. We're finished with brown and we can move on to something new. In palettes like "Atmospheric" ans "Light & Shadow" note the focus on the cool side of the spectrum.

The color of the year does not always impact the market in the way that a lot of the public seems to think. The color choices are like vectors. If one year they pick a cool, berry pink (honeysuckle) they're signaling that we are using cool, clear and bright tones in general. A few years later, the color of the year might be a deep, rusty wine (marsala). That's not necessarily saying everyone's going to buy red, it shows that the overall color mood has shifted towards warm tones centered around that shade of red.

Cloud dancer is at the center of a few palettes assembled this year by Pantone. Aside from the cool tones of the atmospheric pallette, there are a lot of pastels. Butter yellow is just as popular as last year, and we see tones of pink and lavender have also started to catch on. 

Similar to a blank canvas, Cloud Dancer signifies our desire for a fresh start. Peeling away layers of outmoded thinking, we open the door to new approaches. An airy white hue, PANTONE 11-4201 Cloud Dancer opens up space for creativity, allowing our imagination to drift so that new insights and bold ideas can emerge and take shape.

Laurie Pressman Vice President, Pantone Color Institute

One of the important aspects of the pallet is the emphasis on white as a background color or as a visual resting space in an overstimulating world. A canvas is meant to be painted on, and cloud dancer is not meant to remain icy and alone. The "Tropical Tonalities" palette shows that bright colors are still wearable and popular. Just start pairing those brights white instead of a different neutral. With the "Comfort Zone" we also see a call back to the blush and brown tones that have been so trendy in past years. This shows how Cloud Dancer can integrate into the warm palette of past years.

The last point that I would like to bring up is specifically to important for fiber artists. There is subtlety in this shade of white. When Pantone chose Mocha Mousse last year, they associated the earthy, brown shade with the quiet luxury of natural fibers and fabrics. Whether or not the material is actually natural, the brown tone affects your perception of what it's made of. Cloud dancer is a slightly warm off white. When you buy yarn, it's not unusual to see multiple shades of white within a line. There's bleached white, there's natural white, then there's the slightly creamier off white shade of unbleached wool. If you want to start incorporating cloud dancer into your knitting projects, avoid any bleached or cool toned white yarn.

With a little bit more context, it's easy to see why white interesting and important choice, not some scary omen. There's a lot of substance behind this decision, yet it does feel like Pantone partially made this selection because rage bait is the best way to get press right now. They know that most people don't look beyond the initial color swatch to findout whar the full report says. 

As makers, we don't have to enjoy or participate in market trends. I personally avoid white clothing at all costs simply because it tends to stain more easily. No fashion trend can change the impracticality of white clothing for me. I feel lucky to have this choice to use whatever materials and colors I want in my wardrobe. 

As 2026 starts I am wondering: Will you be using more white white in your craft projects this year?