How Wear the 2020 Pantone Color of the Year | According to a Graphic Designer

Maybe you’ve heard mumblings about Pantone and this color of the year. So, what is the color of the year? And what are the best ways to work the color into your wardrobe?

As a full time graphic designer, I consider myself an expert on everything Pantone, but keep reading and you can be an expert on color, too. I also made the snazzy video below, so if you would rather watch than read, check it out!

// what is Pantone?

Pantone colors are used all over the world as a universal guide for designers. There are numbers assigned to every shade of color you can think of, so when you are trying to communicate what color to use, you don’t have to go through this conversation, “It’s like the shade of a rose, but not like a dark red rose, but more like a really dark pink…an almost red rose…do you know what I mean?” Instead, you can just whip out your handy Pantone book and say, “Ok, make it Pantone 1935” and be on your way.

So, to get the color of the year, Pantone studies trends and sees what home furnishings, industrial design and fashion are trending towards. And this year, the Pantone color of the year is Pantone 19-4052 Classic Blue.

Pantone descrbes this color as honest and non aggressive. It gives feelings of trust and protection, which makes us feel anchored. With these comfortable feelings, classic blue helps us to look beyond the obvious and expand our thinking.

Wearing this color can give a calm, confident vibe, which I’m all about, so let me show you a few outfits using classic blue.

// complementary colors

My favorite way to wear colors is to use complimentary colors. If you take a look at this color wheel, across from the blues are yellows and oranges. These really make that blue pop and can definitely give that confident vibe, since it is a pretty bold color combination. 

I personally think gold jewelry looks amazing with this combo, because gold relates closely to those oranges on the color wheel, which makes them complement each other. This blue blazer looks really good with the orange top. Throw on some coral lipstick and you are good to go!

// green and blue

Directly next to the blues are greens, and when you use the right shade of green with classic blue, you really see the impact it makes. With some white jeans, you just can’t go wrong with this combo of color blocking. A green blouse with the classic blue blazer really makes an impact!

// blue suede shoes

Another way to work in classic blue is to find a pair of shoes with this color. I have these little heels and they look really good with the black.

// go monotone

You could also do a monotone blue look, but to not be classic blue from head to toe, try mixing and matching different shades of the blue. This creates a really pulled together look, without being too matchy-matchy.

// black and white

And lastly, classic blue looks really good with black and white because of the stark contrast, it makes the blue stand out. Classic blue paired with black and white creates a really chic, classic look and you can pair either gold or silver jewelry with this combo to bring it all together.

If you want more fashion inspiration,  I have a whole playlist right here for you.

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