Color Trends


Why do we wear green on St. Patrick’s Day?

Have you ever wondered why people wear green on St. Patrick’s Day? It has nothing to do with the fact that Ireland is sometimes referred to as the “Emerald Isle.” It also has nothing to do with green being St. Patrick’s favorite color  Green is worn on St. Patrick’s Day in order to honor an ancient Irish custom. The custom originated hundreds of years ago when the Irish burned leaves and boughs in the spring. After burning the leaves and boughs, they would spread the ashes on the fields in order to make the land richer. By wearing green, people are honoring this ancient custom.

It would be fabulous if this custom actually made the land richer in wealth as oppose to fertile. If the land was rich in wealth, we could grow our money in the backyard! A girl can dream. . .

Source: Cantwell, Mary; St. Patrick’s Day; Thomas Y. Crowell Company New York, 1967

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Photo: Getty Images

 


Men’s fall 2011 fashion trends: Red

The menswear ready-to-wear runway shows for fall 2011 have concluded with the exception of London Fashion Week which will occur February 18-23 2011. The Paris, New York, Berlin and Milan menswear fall fashion weeks all had one common theme that is safe to say will be an upcoming trend for men this fall; Red.

Red was seen splashed all over the menswear runways on everything imaginable from outerwear to pants, shirts, bags, belts, hats and shoes. Red was shown in two ways on the runway; tonal or paired with black. Although red was paired with other colors, there was a big red with black theme which gave male fashion fans a flashback to the 1980’s. The red and black pairing came in many forms such as a bold, horizontal stripped sweater from Dolce & Gabanna to a classic red peacoat with black pants on the Jill Sander runway. Louis Vuitton dressed their models in red pants, red pea coats and red clutches.

Another form of red which popped up on the runways was the red suit. The suit had a slim silhouette which had a reminiscent, new-wave vibe. The red suit was paired with a white shirt and appeared on the Louis Vuitton and Jill Sander runways.

The verdict is in! Red is hot for fall according the menswear runways. February is also a good month to find a red item for your wardrobe since red is a popular Valentine’s Day color. If you do not already own something red, why not invest in a red pea coat, red polo shirt or bold red suit? Red, although hot for fall 2011, is also considered a classic color and can be worn every season, making it a great color to invest in for the upcoming year.


Pantone declares Pink or Honeysuckle to be the IT color for 2011

Pantone LLC, who describes themselves as the “global authority on color,” has declared that Honeysuckle, a medium shade of pink, is the “IT” color for 2011. The exact color is 18-2120 Honeysuckle if you happen to be shopping for the dye.

From Pantone:

“In times of stress, we need something to lift our spirits. Honeysuckle is a captivating, stimulating color that gets the adrenaline going – perfect to ward off the blues,” explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “Honeysuckle derives its positive qualities from a powerful bond to its mother color red, the most physical, viscerally alive hue in the spectrum.”

As we saw, candy pink was one of the dominant colors designers showed for cruise and resort 2011. The spring 2011 colors were softer, more neutral and not as candy colored as they were for resort/cruise. That is not to say some designers did not show medium pink, or Honeysuckle. There were many designers who featured candy pink on the runways for spring, but not in the mass quantities as for resort.

Now that Pantone as declared Honeysuckle, or medium pink, as the color for 2011, will retailers push out pink for their spring collections? What are your thoughts on Honeysuckle (medium pink) as the hot new color for 2011?

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