Pantone Has Reveals Its Color of the Year

Photo: The Development

Since 1999, Pantone has sought to capture our visual, cultural, and creative landscape through color. Every year for nearly three decades, the institute has deemed various tones as particularly definitive of our current moment, whether it be a vivid violet or a tranquil green. But now, for the first time ever, Pantone has selected a shade of white as its 2026 Color of the Year.

Named “Cloud Dancer,” or PANTONE 11-4201, the off-white color resembles everything from a splash of milk to a blank sheet of paper. Pantone describes the hue as “ethereal,” embodying the same serenity of billowing clouds, soft feathers, and natural fabrics. In its stripped-back clarity, Cloud Dancer presents opportunities for quiet reflection, internal transformation, and true relaxation, per the institute. In a word, the color serves as a “symbol of calming influence in a frenetic society rediscovering the value of measured consideration.”

“Cloud Dancer is a discrete hue offering a promise of clarity,” Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of Pantone, said in a statement. “The cacophony that surrounds us has become overwhelming, making it harder to hear the voices of our inner selves. A conscious statement of simplification, Cloud Dancer enhances our focus, providing release from the distraction of external influences.”

Often associated with minimalism and, at times, severity, simplicity, and even blandness, white shades must contain a subtle warmth to remain approachable. That’s precisely why the institute emphasized an equal balance of cool and warm undertones for Cloud Dancer.

“Had we gone for a white that was more optically bright, not only does it take away from the natural feeling, honesty, and authenticity that we’re looking for,” Laurie Pressman, the institute’s VP, told CNN Style in a recent interview. “It almost speaks to sterility and isolationism, because it’s cold.”

Still, Cloud Dancer hasn’t won everyone over. After all, the color stands in stark contrast to Pantone’s previous selections, including 2025’s Mocha Mousse and 2024’s Peach Fuzz, both of which radiated character and an equal sense of serenity, comfort, and peace. Pantone’s 2026 Color of the Year has sparked debate on social media especially, inspiring disappointment and criticism on Pantone’s Instagram announcement.

“Is the color in the room with us?” the popular plush brand Squishmallows commented on the post, while another user remarked: “Is this satire?”

Others suggested more somber interpretations, claiming that the color reflected our fraught political and economic contexts.

“When white supremacy is resurfacing loudly in national leadership and policy, elevating ‘white’ as the symbolic color of the year feels painfully tone-deaf,” one user said. “I wish this decision showed more awareness of the world marginalized communities are navigating every day.”

“The color of the year being colorless is a recession indicator,” another person commented, attracting more than 10,300 likes.

Regardless, Cloud Dancer and white shades as a whole have already been surfacing as a trend. Feathers, for instance, were a mainstay at this year’s Met Gala, where Diana Ross wore a decadent white dress boasting an 18-foot-long train. While promoting her new album, Lux, last month, Rosalía also donned several sleek, white designs.

“We are living in a transitional time where people are seeking truth, possibility, and a new way of living,” Pressman added in a statement. “Cloud Dancer is an airy white hue that exemplifies our search for balance between our digital future and our primal need for human connection.”

To learn more about Cloud Dancer, visit the Pantone website.