Pantone has announced its Colour of the Year for 2025 as ‘Mocha Mousse’.
Established in 1999, every year the Pantone Colour Institute assembles a panel of experts to examine global trends across entertainment, art, travel, fashion, and technology.
They collaboratively choose a colour that they believe captures the spirit of the times and will resonate globally in the year ahead.
This year, they opted for a light shade of brown, as Pantone Colour Institute’s executive director Leatrice Eiseman notes, “[Mocha Mousse] reaches into our desire for comfort and wellness, and the indulgence of simple pleasures.”
Sophisticated yet unpretentious, the tone is inspired by our humble surroundings.
“This softer, earthy-toned shade of brown evokes a feeling of comfort and stability, maybe due to the fact that that we associate this hue with the natural world,” says Cliff Bashforth, managing director of Colour Me Beautiful Europe.
Bouncing off the chocolate brown and burgundy trend this season, ‘Mocha Mousse’ seems like the perfect choice for moving into the new year. This lighter, whipped update on a classic is arguably even easier to style throughout the seasons.
The ‘it’ shade for 2025 has already been sported on red carpets by celebs such as Rita Ora, who wore the hue in the form of a feathered Ashi Studio couture gown at the EMAs in November.
With ‘quiet luxury’ and ‘country club chic’ being some of 2024’s biggest fashion trends, the light brown hue is perfectly placed to style the wax jackets, riding boots and Argyle knits that are currently trending.
“As it’s a neutral shade, Mocha Mousse can be both versatile, understated and stylish,” explains Bashforth. “As outerwear for autumn and winter – trench coats, leather or suede jackets and gilets work well.”
The colour plays into the current fashion mantra of investing in timeless classics – as the neutral shade is a perfect base for pairing with bright accents or complimentary hues.
“The general public may gravitate toward investing in high-quality, long-lasting pieces in this totally wearable colour as they become more environmentally conscious,” says Bashforth. “Buying less and wearing more is definitely the way forward!”
The colours to pair with this earthy neutral are endless – but choosing which ones to integrate into your wardrobe depends on your hair and skin tone.
If you have light skin and eyes and are perhaps naturally blonde, “opt for colours such as aqua, sky blue, ivory or dusty rose”, says Bashforth.
For those with darker hair and eyes, “team with burgundy, scarlet, lime green or turquoise”.
If you have warmer undertones, Bashforth suggests balancing the Mocha Mousse with apricot, mustard, orange or terracotta. For those with cooler undertones, he suggests pairing it with blue-based hues such as sky blue, plum, hot pink or raspberry.
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