Pantone's Head is in the Clouds

Pantone is known for shaping global color trends. But with this year's selection of "Cloud Dancer" — basically a fancy white — as the color of 2026 has people wondering if these experts are starting to lose touch... or just lost in the clouds.

Folks online are dragging the shade for being dull, uninspired and barely a color at all. Others are labeling the choice “whitewashing” in light of current political tensions.

In revealing Cloud Dancer as its 2026 choice, Pantone praised the shade as “a billowy, balanced white” meant to evoke “a feeling of serenity.”

Here’s our take on this pick — color or not, you decide:

You already know how we feel about color if you caught our 2025 Spring/Summer Issue — we LOVE it. The bigger, the bolder, the brighter, the better.

That said, as a designer, I get it. The past few years have been all about neutrals, and right now, clean, minimalistic vibes are trending hard.

You see it everywhere — from living rooms to runways to wedding aisles. That classy neutral is basically the cool, calm, collected kid of the color world — and experts swear it’s forever in style.

Let’s be real — minimalism is #adultgoals. I dream of being that grown-up who actually has it together, but… yeah, not me. Color is personality. It’s fun, it’s moody, it’s happy, it’s electric.

Pantone may call the shots, but don’t let them boss your palette around. Follow the trend if you want, or throw the rulebook out the window and paint your own path. Color or no color, you do you.