Color choice speaks to our mood, ambitions, desires, and individual personalities. For two decades, the Pantone Color Institute has chosen colors that speak to current times, societal and personal needs, and brand trends it sees in working with businesses. With this experience and insight, the institute makes a bold decision to annually choose a “Color of the Year.” What’s in store for 2020?
To herald the new decade, Pantone chose “Classic Blue” (PANTONE 19-4052), described with words like “elegant,” “timeless,” “reliable” and “confident.” The color is calming, hard to overlook, but also offers an anchoring presence when painted on walls in a home. Then again, in small doses, such as on chair cushions or other accents, it brings a memorable pop of color without overpowering a space.
“Suggestive of the sky at dusk, the reassuring qualities of … Classic Blue highlight our desire for a dependable and stable foundation on which to build as we cross the threshold into a new era,” Pantone said in its Color of the Year release.
Let’s look at how Classic Blue is showing up in the world today.
The Pantone Color Institute is viewed as a world authority on color. It helps companies make decisions about color for their brand or products. It creates color forecasting reports, produces palettes for companies and even helps them develop color strategies.
As 2020 begins, Classic Blue can be seen virtually anywhere. As profiled in Architectural Digest, the media room of model Hana Soukupova’s home, for example, is a powerful demonstration of the color in action. Each wall is decked out in Classic Blue with contrasts of warm wood flooring and a gray sectional couch to make a space that both catches your attention and calms.
“Non-aggressive and easily relatable, this universal favorite lends itself to relaxed interaction and encourages us to expand our thinking, broaden our perspective and open our connection and communication to others,” Laurie Pressman, a vice president with the Color Institute, as told to Forbes.com.
Pantone also identified the use of Classic Blue in the beauty industry, auto manufacturing, technology, deep ocean and lake waters, and virtually everywhere around the globe, said Pantone Color Institute Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman.
Classic Blue also lends itself to wanderlust. The color’s international flair is found in cities like Jodhpur, sometimes referred to as India’s “Blue City.” Its old town’s buildings are extensively painted in Classic Blue and are an important part of the city’s identity. Classic Blue is also a color you’ll find in pure Maldive seawater.
In fashion, Classic Blue is frequently in attire worn by England’s royal family. More extreme examples abound, such as the oversized Balenciaga dress Billie Eilish wore for Vogue magazine’s 2020 spring Ready-To-Wear Collection, and more subtle offerings, such as Zara Collection 19’s, Knit Midi Dress, a fitted dress with a lapel collar and long sleeves that extend the color’s strong, but calming statement.
Whether you’re looking for it or not, Classic Blue continues to find ways to embed itself into global life and culture.
