Pantone Color Institute analysts scour the globe looking for new color influences from the worlds of entertainment, film, art and fashion, as well as popular travel destinations, design, new lifestyles and socio-economic conditions. Influences may also stem from new technologies, materials, textures and effects that impact color, relevant social media platforms and even upcoming sporting events that capture worldwide attention.
Classic Blue already maintains a strong, loyal following. The British Royal Family has always worn it; the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton and the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle both wore Classic Blue at separate engagements on November 7, 2019. Markle regularly wears Classic Blue dresses from Jason Wu and Roksanda Athena. Princess Diana wore the hue on numerous occasions, too. Kim Kardashian West has been recently spotted in the color, while Lauren Hutton wore Armani in Classic Blue to the 2019 British Fashion Awards on December 2.
Classic Blue has also been the color du jour of the wellness world. Many food scientists have been encouraging people to eat blueberries and blue-tinted foods that contain beneficial anthocyanins. And luxury skincare products such as Chanel's latest offering, Blue Serum, have adopted the word in their nomenclature. The automotive and digital industries have long used the color and continue to develop more products in the shade. Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Jaguars and more have all appropriated this color.
Above all, in today's ultra-fast-paced technological blur of a world, blue is viewed as a color of anti-anxiety, hope and optimism. "It has depth to it, but it's a color of anticipation because we're looking ahead," says Eiseman. "What's going to come?"
May your visions for 2020 be tinged with Classic Blue.
