Pantone’s Color of the Year Is…

Classic Blue

by Angie Ash, Executive Vice President

Every year since 1999, The Pantone Color Institute has chosen a color of the year to capture a moment in time. In early December of 2109, Pantone announced, to some surprise, that its 2020 Color of the Year is Classic Blue, a shade reminiscent of the sky at dusk. (For extra trivia points, if you’re ever asked, the very first Pantone Color of the Year was Cerulean, another blue hue.) Each year’s color is decided after a long and thoughtful process that takes into consideration lifestyle and industry trends. Color influences can come from art, upcoming media, movies, lifestyles, socioeconomic and political conditions, travel destinations, and new technology, among many other things. 

The Pantone Color Institute said it settled on a shade that offers the reassurance, confidence, and connection that people may be searching for in these uncertain global times. They wanted a color that could be regal, restrained and boundless but also edgy. The edgy example given was a new-age, classic blue concept car. Look for Classic Blue to be represented around you very soon, beginning with clothing, home decor items and paint colors.