It’s official: The 2024 Color of the Year (COY) is Peach Fuzz, according to Pantone, the authority on all things color. The Pantone Color Institute named its color of the year earlier this month, declaring a need for compassion and human connection in the year ahead.

The company describes PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz as “a velvety gentle peach whose all-embracing spirit enriches heart, mind, and body.” It goes on to say that the color was selected as a way to remind the world that, in a time of turmoil, the need for empathy and compassion looms large. “The color we selected to be our Pantone Color of the Year 2024 needed to express our desire to want to be close to those we love and the joy we get when allowing ourselves to tune into who we are and just savor a moment of quiet time alone,” it adds.

“At a time of turmoil in many aspects of our lives, our need for nurturing, empathy and compassion grows ever stronger as does our imaginings of a more peaceful future. We are reminded that a vital part of living a full life is having the good health, stamina, and strength to enjoy it,” said company vice president Laurie Pressman. We needed a color “whose gentle lightness and airy presence lifts us into the future,” Pressman added.

Many experts within the decorated apparel community agree. “To say that you don’t like the Pantone 2024 COY, Peach Fuzz, would be akin to saying you don’t like sunrises or sunsets,” believes Vicki Ostrom, futurist and trend editor for Trendependent.com and for SanMar. “The COY is NEVER about only that color that is named. Any COY needs to be taken as an idea. … The palest versions become soft florals on dresses for festivals or soft, calming colors on technology, and calming, cozy blankets for home goods. The richer colors become amazing embroideries of sunsets on baseball caps or digital prints on Ts, layered over with inspiring messages.”

New York Fashion Week Spring 2024 Palette

In addition to announcing the 2024 COY, the New York Fashion Week (NYFW) spring 2024 color palette is also ready to go. According to Pressman, “This season’s report features the top 10 standout colors, as well as the five new core classics we can expect to see as fashion designers introduce their new Spring/Summer collections.” Here are the colors that made the lineup:

  • PANTONE 18-1355 TCX – Rooibos Tea
  • PANTONE 17-1461 TCX – Orangeade
  • PANTONE 17-0220 TCX – Watercress
  • PANTONE 15-1435 TCX – Desert Flower
  • PANTONE 15-4030 TCX – Chambray Blue
  • PANTONE 14-3812 TCX – Pastel Lilac
  • PANTONE 18-3932 TCX – Marlin
  • PANTONE 12-0736 TCX – Lemon Drop
  • PANTONE 16-5938 TCX – Mint
  • PANTONE 15-4722 TCX – Capri

NYFW Spring 2024 New Classics:

  • PANTONE 11-4001 TCX – Brilliant White
  • PANTONE 14-1305 TCX – Mushroom
  • PANTONE 14-4104 TCX – Northern Droplet
  • PANTONE 18-4006 TCX – Quiet Shade
  • PANTONE 16-1317 TCX – Brush

As apparel decorators move into 2024, they must pay attention to these color palettes and trend reports. Doing so optimizes the potential profit from customers seeking the latest styles in the newest colors. Knowing how to apply and utilize these colors is crucial.

“In regards to nature, which is where we are really centering all of our color love as a society right now (you see this on the fashion runways also) you can’t find a more meaningful color than what Pantone is calling Peach Fuzz,” Ostrom offers. “It somehow manages to be at once meditative and energetic all at the same time. How many colors can find that kind of magic?”