Take a Look Back in 2009 for Color Trends - Outside Views - Blog on Casual Living

Take a Look Back in 2009 for Color Trends - Outside Views - Blog on Casual Living


October 28, 2009

As 2009 is winding down let us take a look back at the color trends forecasted for this past year. See if this prediction was on target. The Color Marketing Group, an international non-profit association consisting of color design professionals has been predicting colors accurately for over 45 years. As specified by the Color Marketing Group, the leading selections have been impacted by our anxiety over the economy and our confidence about what lies ahead.

Here are the colors chosen to guide us in 2009 by CMG:

Purple, Purple, Purple! - Emerging as a hot fashion color last fall, purple is not just a fad -- it's an entrenched trend, strongly influenced by the election. (After all, red plus blue equals purple.) Look for a greyed-out violet that works equally well as an accent or a neutral, as well as redder, plummier purples and bluer-influenced fuchsias in a huge range of products. Purple is 2009’s “must have” color.

Blue is the New Green - Various greens have symbolized "green living” over the last few years, but in 2009 the "green" environmental message is delivered by the color blue. There are watery blues, sky blues and a whole range of blues that now represent our commitment to living on a greener planet.

Cooled-down, Greyed-out Browns and Greys - Complex neutrals satisfy our urge toward classic colors in an economically challenged time. They also bridge the area between black, which seems harsh, and brown, which doesn't seem strong enough.

Yellow for Energy – The neutrals may have greyed, but look for lots and lots of bright vivid yellow to give us energy as we re-build the economy. It's the stand-out accent color for 2009.

Bright Accents from India, China, and Turkey – The exotic has become the familiar. Oranges, turquoises and teals, reds, and yellows will abound in hues from far-away countries that now seem very near. They are the optimistic touches we crave.

White is now a Business Color – Technology has produced amazing new (and very practical) finishes, which helps explain why white is showing up everywhere, even in corporate board rooms. The contrasts are all in the finishes: matte versus gloss; shine and shimmer on reflective surfaces; textured whites versus smooth -- all washable and cleanable. White also represents purity of thought, motive and result – exactly what we want from businesses now.



The Return of the "M" Word - It's mauve. Remember mauve? An old color that looks new again, in dusty violet shades, mauve works as an accent but also serves now as a neutral, punched up by those bright Asian accents (orange, turquoise, teal, red, and yellow.)

It is true I have seen an increase in purple in the apparel market, green is evident in home fashions, gray continues to be prominent, and we all are looking for hope in the color yellow. Bright colors influence us from far away. The only color I have not come across yet is mauve.