How to Wear Fall and Winter 2022 Color Trends

Do you switch up your color palette with the seasons? There are certain colors I always gravitate toward in autumn (like my dress above), but I also want to keep my wardrobe feeling current. That means I keep a casual eye on the runways, but more importantly I try to inject fall and winter 2022 color trends into my wardrobe. So what’s trending… and how can we make those runway styles wearable for real life?

Let’s be honest, Fashion Week can feel a little wild. Those over the top hues and styles make it fun. But they also leave us trying to interpret those designs in a more functional, dialed-back way.

What color is in for fall 2022?

Each year, the Pantone Color Institute shares its predictions of the colors we’ll all fall in love with. Never heard of Pantone before? The institute is famous for forecasting global color trends. It also advises companies on the use of color in brand identity.

To determine the fall and winter 2022 color trends, Pantone took a look at the hues designers were featuring at Fashion Week. They then used those trends to come up with two color palettes. One features a top ten list of standout colors on the runways. The other, shares five core classics we can expect to see designers using in their fall/winter collections.

In the institute’s words, the Pantone Fashion Color Trend Report for Autumn/Winter 2022…

Reflects our hybridized lifestyles and our contradictory yearnings as we continue forward into this new landscape. Colors supporting our need for nurturing and tactility provide a calm and restorative space, fulfilling our yearning for calm and comfort. Meanwhile, our need to break free of restraint and embrace the joy of being alive comes through in super bright hues expressing energy boosting vitality and the celebration of life.

Utility Jacket in Midnight (on sale) | Ankle Booties

Fall and Winter 2022 Color Trends: 4 Easy Ways to Add Them to Your Wardrobe

---

Take inventory of your closet

There’s a lot to love with this palette! My first step in weaving fall and winter 2022 color trends into my wardrobe is to assess what I already have. As soon as I saw this palette, I did a little happy dance. I have a lot of these colors in my wardrobe already. In fact, Pantone’s Midnight blue is one of my favorite colors to wear. Pull up the palette on your cell phone and take some time to do an inventory. Be sure to explore styles that have floated far to the back of your closet too! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve found new uses for old styles when trends circle back.

Dress (Orange Tiger)

Identify the hues that work for you

Trending colors are great, but they need to look great on you! Only lean into colors that truly flatter your complexion, eye color and hair tone. You might love a color, but it needs to love you back. Take the Pantone autumn and winter colors to a mirror and see if you can find a few that make your features pop. Do they bring out your unique beauty? If you’re going to invest in a new item, you want it to go the distance. I wrote a full blog post that details how to find your most flattering colors. It’s a helpful reference guide before you go shopping!

Pantone’s Caramel Cafe – Inspiration

Dress | Leopard Heels | Earrings

Search for fall trending colors in classic cuts

Next, it’s time to zero-in on a few new pieces. Since you are already trying something new with the fall and winter 2022 color trends you are searching for, it’s best not to push the envelope with a different silhouette too. The last thing you want to do is buy something you feel uncomfortable in and never wear. Stick to styles you love, but in new colorways. Love pleated skirts? Search for one in Pantone’s rich Lava Falls red. Or perhaps you’re a blouse girl… Can you find a piece in the cheerful Samoan Sun or vibrant Rose Violet?

I would recommend purchasing at least one or two foundational pieces in the new colors. Now, build your outfits around them – toning down bold hues with layered neutrals if the color feels too punchy for you. For example, you can reduce the vivid nature of a top in Waterspout by pairing it with a tan blazer and neutral slacks.

For those who prefer a more muted palette, focus your search on Pantone’s Core Classics. These shades are infinitely wearable and very easy to style. In the market to replace a staple garment, like a blazer or dress? This is a great way to incorporate fall and winter color trends! Instead of opting for your usual neutral of choice, try the piece in a Core Classic hue instead.

Pantone’s Arctic Wolf – Inspiration

Dress | Cardigan Blazer | Pumps  

Playfully add the boldest colors with your accessories

Is there a color on the Pantone fall color palette you love, but fear you can’t pull it off? This is where accessories come in! You can keep your wardrobe fresh and current by adding trending colors in a shoe, scarf, bag, or jewelry. Moreover, a pop of color in an accessory can be just the finishing touch your outfit needs! Here are a few ideas within the palette to get you started with accessories, plus a few additional Pantone colors with related outfits.

Which trending color are you most excited to wear? 

---

Pantone’s Rose Violet

Pantone’s Lava Falls

Pantone’s Martini Olive

Pantone’s Samoan Sun