The Pantone 2016 spring color palette is all projected towards happiness and relax, are you ready to wear the new mood?
As you’re going to see color after color, you’re on a journey made of sunsets, cocktails, parties, explorations, and everything that makes you escape the crazy routine of daily life.
I put together a list of the 10 colors selected by the Pantone Color Institute for Spring 2016, to show you what they mean, how you can pair them and what to wear on the upcoming season.
Make sure you read all the way to the bottom, because there’s a special recommendation to help you buy the right things this spring!
Pantone 2016: How to Wear Rose Quartz + Serenity
Rose Quartz and Serenity are the Pantone Colors of the year for 2016, and it’s the first time the Pantone Institute selects two colors to represent the trending mood of the historical moment we’re living right now.
They opted for Rose Quartz together with Serenity, because these two colors have lately been associated with male and female gender, and they’re pairing it to make them both unisex, since the time has come to overcome cultural barriers!
On the other hand, both colors are very calm and soothing, in contrast with the bombarding tech and marketing world we’re in, and hopefully aimed at throwing a new relaxed way to live?
I love the color dissertations of the Pantone Institute and their way to read history through colors, but what are we going to wear to look cool, relaxed and sophisticated?
Pantone suggests a palette made up of four colors, form the ten trending hues of sext spring. So, here’s how to pair Rose Quartz:
And Serenity:
Here are two outfit ideas built up with Rose Quartz and Serenity, two pastels that brighten up every working day, and not only!


Pantone 2016: How To Wear Peach Echo
Who doesn’t love orange? In the color personality wheel orange reveals a flamboyant character and a super social person, not to mention it’s also the color of many cocktails, like the Spritz!
A spring comes and the weather gets warmer you’re more and more in search of colors to express you look for vacations and parties on the beach! The Peach Echo, is a color reminder that life is game you should enjoy, together with the people you like!
As for fashion and styling, you can change the mood of your outfits pairing Peach Eco with other colors to make it look bolder, sleeker, or romantic.
In fact, the three hues that Pantone suggests wearing and pairing with Peach Echo are:
- Rose Quartz, so you can evoke a sunset
- Serenity, to create a charming and energetic contrast
- Lilac Grey, to highlight everything!
Here’s the four colors palette for Peach Eco:
And a great monochromatic outfit to shop now:

Pantone 2016: How To Wear Snorkel Blue
Escape, escape, escape..! Everything evokes escapism in the Spring ’16 Pantone palette.
Do you see this Blue? Isn’t it the blue of the serious business suits of serious business people?
For Pantone it’s Snorkel Blue, the genius device that lets you breath when you are exploring the ocean on vacation. Put the Snorkel Blue together with a happy Yellow, aka the Buttercup, and you’re set!
Here’s how to pair the Snorkel Blue to create your stylish outfits:
And the look I choose for you:

Pantone 2016: How To Wear Buttercup
The calmness Pantone wants to evoke with the spring/summer 2016 colors is certainly not the stillness of solitary places and definitely not entirely introspective.
The Buttercup is another energetic accent in the colors we’re wearing this spring, and it’s going to reveal your thriving personality and evoke the warm colors of sunlight and exotic, joyous fruits, like pineapple!
If you want your outfits to bring you to a happier place and make you live great days in a good mood, you definitely should bring the Buttercup into your spring wardrobe.
Here’s the official Pantone suggestions on how to pair this fab yellow hue:
I though it’s also nice to wear it like this:


by monmondefou
Pantone 2016: How To Wear Limpet Shell
Another super cool color evoking precious moments of tranquility and happiness this spring is the Limpet Shell, a light and bright aquatic shade that conveys a sense of cleanliness, sleekness and positivity.
This is one of my favorite hues among this year’s major trends and I find it very versatile and easy to pair with other colors to build up refined outfits and express your personal style.
In fact, the other shades that Pantone pulls up alongside with Limpet Shell, make it possible to create timeless moods and outfits:
The most peculiar color that I think works like a charm with Limpet shell is the Iced Coffee, a caramel tone with a retro taste that I’ll talk you about in a minute.
Imagine what a striped fitted sweater could look like with these two colors together, or the coolness of striped patent leather shoes? It’s so Seventy!
Here’s the outfit I want to bring you:

by lucky-1990
Pantone 2016: How To Wear Lilac Grey
Neutrals? Yes, but with a touch of glam please.
The Lilac Grey expresses how the indecision and detachment associated with grey by color psychology is not a thing this spring. This new color is a fuller, thoughtful, edgy version of the classic and unimaginative grey.
You can use Lilac Grey as a basic, for coats, dresses, pants or tops, and define your outfit mood with touches of brighter colors, or you can just use it on accessories to complement bold outfits made up of vibrant colors.
Here’s what the Pantone Insitute says you should pair with Lilac Grey to get a great look:
Here’s a couple of outfit ideas:


Pantone 2016: How To Wear Fiesta
If you have a warm skin tone and you love reds, corals and bold hues, Fiesta is for you. In fact, it’s an energetic yellow-based red in contrast with the calming spring palette, but in total harmony with the concept of joy, happiness and friendliness of the overall palette.
Personally, I’m looking forward to get a Fiesta mani asap, and I think I’d also love a little dress or a sparkly tiny bag in the Fiesta color.
The four colors palette built up around Fiesta is sort of flashy and amusing, with a vague reference to the 70s, don’t you think?
Here’s how to wear it:

by conch-lady

Pantone 2016: How To Wear Iced Coffee
Iced Coffee is the neutral I love to pair with Limpet Shell, and I didn’t immediately felt in love with it, but for me it’s been a revelation.
Not only it will take you through spring and summer this year, it will be a passe-partout all year round, helping the transition to the fall palette.
That’s why I recommend you to invest in this color if you’re thinking to buy things like a new bag or a coat. You can pair this color with just like everything and it will always look great, sleek and stylish, you’ll see how cool it is paired with green in a minute.
Now, here’s how the Pantone Color Institute loves to pair it:
And here’s some outfits for your inspo:


by tamara-xox
Pantone 2016: How To Wear Green Flash
We talked about vacations, the sun and the ocean, but what about the grass?
I believe Pantone had nature in mind when they thought about this spring, because the Green Flash hue looks exactly like the cherry grass of a golf green, and we need it!
Here’s how Pantone defines it:
“The popularity of this brilliant hue is representative of nature’s persistent influence even in urban environments, a trend continuing to inspire designers.”
It’s a great deal if you pair it with:

What’s your favorite Pantone Color to wear this Spring?