We’re pretty enthused about the Pantone Fall 2009 Color Guide , which is vibrant and sophisticated – without being controversial. There’s enough diversity to suit all skin tones, and all of your options are super “wearable.” There’s nothing boring about this year’s palate, either (gray has replaced brown as the new black).





Golden/Honey Yellow
This is, arguably, the highlight of the season. Whether you’re donning a long trench coat or thin belt in this bright, brown yellow shade, it will perk up your outfit and probably your mood, too. In this recession, fashionistas are looking for an optimistic, yet familiar color to guide them through fall. Although you can’t lose with yellow, it’s great for extra layers and accessories, as opposed to your main pieces of apparel. Yellow looks very different on one person to the next, too, so be careful if you’re shopping for it online (if the online model is paler or darker skinned than you, you could be disappointed with the result when it ships your way). However, for ladies with a darker skin tone, yellow’s usually a good bet.





Soft Red/”American Beauty”
Designers really brought things back to basics on the runway this year, particularly with red. Instead of messing with the classic color, they simply let it be. True, patriotic red is certainly one of the major themes of fall 2009.





Deep Purple/”Purple Heart”
Something’s got to spice things up and that’s just what purple will do this year. While the majority of fall 2009 colors are pretty predictable, this one’s bold and inspiring. Makes a great accent or even dominating color for an outfit. Like red, purple’s also beautiful on every skin tone.





Teal Blue/”Majolica Blue”
This surprise color is not as ubiquitous as red, yellow, or purple, but it’s one of our favorites. It’s a bit harder to execute however. Make sure that when you wear teal blue, it’s not fighting with other colors for attention. Pair it with simpler or lighter colors (like grey). This color tends to look best with lighter skin tones.





Soft Pink/”Burnt Sienna”
This is a very sweet color that contrasts well with darker ones, like black of course. But try pairing it with other lighter colors for even more of an eye-popping effect.





Pinkish Purple/”Rapture Rose”
Take “Purple Heart” down a notch if you’re looking for an interesting, but not super attention-getting look.





Olive Green
Always a crowd pleaser, olive green tends to pop up year after year. It’s a happy, playful, yet elegant color that can totally Make an outfit. Even a plain olive green shirt will get you all sorts of compliments – especially if you have darker skin.





The “New” Black/Iron
Even though black will show up a lot, it’s overrated this year. Instead, look for shades of grey that, well, aren’t quite grey – closer to blue. This lively “new” black can be the foundation for most your outfits, and you’ll love the slimming effect. If you like to play it safe, this lighter, animated alternative to black is a great place to start. Gradually introduce more daring colors into the mix until you’re comfy branching out into more colorful territory.


Other colors for Fall 2009



Nomad





Créme Brulée