fashion predictions

Fall 2008 Color Predictions

The fall clothes are already in the stores, but it’s not yet Labor Day so I’m going to say that I’m not yet late with my fall 2008 color predictions. These are not necessarily the colors the fashion industry is trying to foist upon us. Rather, these are the colors that I think people will gravitate to most. (For example, it doesn’t matter that there are a lot of pumpkin-colored sweaters in the stores right now because I expect most of those to be hanging on the clearance racks come November.)

These colors aren’t just for clothing: they’re the ones I think you’ll want to surround yourself with in napkins, wrapping paper, nail polish, flowers, rugs, soap, etc. because they just somehow feel right right now.

Fall 2008 Prediction
Color by COLOURlovers

  • Teal: We’ve had about 15 years to recover from the teal binge of the late 80s/early 90s and it’s time for this lovely color to make a comeback. Sadly, it doesn’t render well on a computer screen. Imagine it bolder and richer, with a little more green. Surprisingly, teal hasn’t really taken off yet (it’s not as easy to find in stores as, say, purple), so I predict that anything you buy now will wear well for at least a couple more years.
  • Dark Gray: Ubiquitous on the runways, goes with everything, and flattering on more people than stark black.
  • Light Gray: Gray is everywhere this season, so it’s worth having some variety in shades. Don’t stop with dark and light, try medium gray, too. You don’t have to limit yourself to a palette of 5 colors like I did.
  • Plum: From a blueish to a more magenta-ish hue, plum (dark, rich purple) is very current. This is one of the fashion industry picks that I think people will actually warm up to.
  • Gold: Another color that doesn’t render well on the computer screen; you’ll just have to imagine that it’s metallic. I believe that gold jewelry, gold accessories, even gold nail polish will appeal to a large number of people this fall.

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3 Comments

  1. Susanna, either we’re both right or both wrong. I was just mulling over a fall palette in my mind last night. I’ve been so stuck on pinks and aquas and black for summer. My guesses were a bit more vivid on the blue (turquoise) and I would definitely add a rich, deep olive green in there…

  2. Dan says:

    Well, I’ve been hearing that metallic handbags are all the rage. Slate had a roundup of fashion magazines, which seem to be pushing, of all things, fur (and even gold-dusted fur).
    I agree that it does seem to be a very “wintery” fall palette.
    I’m just hoping that some of this will penetrate the perpetually warm color scheme of outdoorsy clothing.

  3. Becca, you’re probably right about the green. My abiding dislike for dark green has likely blinded me to the possibility that it’s going to be big. I’ve seen a lot of dark green in the Sartorialist’s posts.

    Just goes to show that just ’cause I don’t like it, doesn’t mean everyone else doesn’t. Maybe I’ll be more receptive to dark green once I’ve purged all traces of the former owner’s decor from our house. (Green cabinets, floor, curtains, wallpaper…)

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