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Hi there! I can't wait to discover what color will define 2026. What's the scoop?

Get ready, as every year since 1999, Pantone selects a signature color. This choice is a reflection of the zeitgeist—shaping everything from our collective sentiment and what we wear to interior styling. Last year's color was the darker neutral "Mocha Mousse," preceded by the gentle and peachy "a delicate peach tone."

The new selection, however, is particularly baffling. It is "Cloud Dancer," labeled as a "soft and structural white."

Laurie Pressman, vice-president of the Pantone Color Institute, remarked that it is "a pivotal neutral tone … allowing all colors to be highlighted."

Well, Cloud Dancer sounds… hold on, just white? Are they joking? Can white truly be considered a proper color?

Can you even describe the color of clouds? Milk? While many view white as a color, all color is essentially a spectrum of light waves. It appears in a set of colored pencils, so in everyday terms the answer is yes.

Whether Pantone is pulling our leg is harder to determine. The company states, Cloud Dancer pairs effortlessly with other colors, provides a calm backdrop, embodies understated style, and projects quiet sophistication.

Feedback online, in contrast, has not been as kind. A number of observers have accused Pantone of being completely "tone-deaf." Fashion and trend forecaster Mandy Lee described it as "a let-down." Critics have compared it with coded promotion of controversial ideas seen in other media.

Okay, one would hope they're happily ignorant that this isn't the best moment to be pointedly celebrating the color white... Anyway, how should I who doesn't follow a runway use this news in my world? I recently coated my ceiling with white, does that qualify?

It absolutely counts. The same goes for your white headphones, sink, or ceramic plate.

The timing is curious you mention runways, since many this season's presentations have been vibrantly colorful, featuring plant-based feathers on the runway.

White ensembles featured prominently, as per usual, in high-fashion looks—from structured tops to collared dresses. Celebrities and public figures have also been photographed in crisp all-white attire at prestigious shows.

The good news is: chances are you already own items in this "discreet" color of the year. As Pressman, Cloud Dancer "embodies a more sustainable choice for the eco-conscious," which could mean not having to buy new items at all.

FINALLY, a design directive for the deeply unmotivated. An empty canvas, if you will. A cocoon of calming neutrality against the noise. I'm convinced, I get it. Will you be creating a all-white theme for your closet?

Definitely not. Do you know how hard it is to remove tomato sauce stains from a light garment? I don't need additional cleaning headaches in 2026.

I do have a pair of formerly pristine sandals, and such staples are always in vogue.