In 2026, consumers will be wearing white even after Labor Day. At least, that’s the bet Pantone is making with its color of the year, cloud dancer, a soft white.
This year, alongside hues of brown (as predicted by Pantone when it dubbed mocha mousse the color of 2025), shades of blue, from cobalt to pastels, and slime green dominated the runways. Now, Pantone expects a paring back.
“We are living in a transitional time where people are seeking truth, possibility and a new way of living,” says Laurie Pressman, VP of the Pantone Color Institute. “Overcommited and overstimulated in our 24-7 hustle culture, we are looking for respite and relief from emotional and physical stimulation by disconnecting and stepping away from the incessant demands of daily life to deeply rejuvenate mentally, physically and emotionally.”
In Pantone’s view, cloud dancer is the answer, associated with serenity, calm and new beginnings, Pressman says. If this year was anything to go by, the idea of stripping back is resonating with shoppers. “White showed up everywhere this year. It wasn’t tied to one It-item but more of an overall shift toward easy, minimal dressing,” says Sourced By founder Gab Waller. “We saw constant requests for white dresses — Prada’s lace-trimmed style being our most-requested for the year, followed closely by Jacquemus.” Heels and handbags were also highly requested in spring and summer, Waller adds, tacking on an honorable mention for The Row’s Gala pants.
There’s a business case to be made for brands, too. Ima Shah, advisory director at trends intelligence business Stylus, describes white as a failsafe. “This season, white has turned into a creative and commercial anchor,” she says. “White works right now because it feels safe without being boring, and you can wear it with anything.”
Last year’s mocha mousse prediction hit the mark. Waller says the color held influence and selling power in 2025, specifically in regards to handbags. She highlights Saint Laurent’s Icarino in brown quilted suede and Balenciaga’s Le City Bag Small in camel, worn by Bella Hadid, as standouts. Suede offerings also did numbers; Chanel’s 25 bag in chocolate brown suede is Waller’s most-requested handbag style of the year.
Brigitte Chartrand, chief buying and merchandising officer at Net-a-Porter, expects high demand for white during the Spring/Summer 2026 season. “It’s something we have really bought into at Net-a-Porter,” she says. “It was so prominent on the runway, especially at New York Fashion Week and at the Saint Laurent show in Paris, with its signature black and white looks. White also appeared in footwear from heels to trainers, which is something we haven’t seen for a long time.”
“Top brands that come to mind for this are Chanel for handbags and footwear, Prada for ready-to-wear pieces, Jacquemus for bestselling styles across all categories,” Waller adds. “Miu Miu, Alaïa, The Row and Christopher Esber will all embrace it strongly — and styles will sell out.”
But as the quiet luxury trend wanes, is 2026 really the year when white will surge? Experts weigh in.
Quiet-ish
While white can connote absence, this wasn’t what Pantone had in mind when selecting the shade. “We know that white can have this connotation, but this is not a statement of ‘lack of’. Cloud dancer is a natural white tone with an equal balance of cool and warm, giving it the neutrality, accessibility and versatility consumers are looking for today,” Pressman says. “At a time when personal expression is so key, this is a color that consumers can incorporate into their wardrobes, beauty or hair in any way they like, whether in a monochromatic statement, or paired and contrasted with other shades.”
Waller expects this to go both ways, predicting a mix of monochromatic white looks for some and white as a base for others, complemented by more seasonal accents like leopard print. Shah agrees that white will be a color that consumers prioritize in the coming year, but doesn’t put this down to any given trend. Mytheresa’s chief buying and group fashion venture officer Tiffany Hsu agrees. “One of the biggest trends we’ve seen is the rise of all-white everything, a reflection of consumers’ growing desire for clean and minimalist aesthetics,” she says.
The wide mix at 2025’s shows was an indicator, Chartrand says. “The way in which white was mixed into the color palette varied from show to show, with Alaïa and Valentino choosing to pair it with bright colors — whereas at Saint Laurent, the black and white styling really stood out. The crisp white bow shirt was a highlight at the show,” she says. “In addition, there were some beautiful crochet, lace and knitted pieces from Heirlome, Colleen Allen, Acne and Pauline Dujancourt for a top-to-toe take.”
At a moment when quality and value are in question, white pieces can also be a way for brands to show off their chops, Shah adds. “On the runway, it emphasizes cut, fit and proportion; there is nothing to hide behind. At retail, that’s translated into demand for elevated basics, tailoring and shirting, etc,” she says.
To this end, Shah expects white to show up in products where construction matters: tailoring, structured dresses, good shirts, denim and knitwear. “The brands already using it on the catwalk, like The Row, Toteme, Cos and Khaite, will keep leaning into it. For them, white isn’t just a color choice,” she says. “It signals confidence and permanence, both of which are qualities you want in a forever wardrobe.”
Will it sell?
White has always been a staple in fashion, and experts don’t doubt it’ll persist.
That said, the color’s significance is waning in fashion, per EDITED’s data. In women’s mass market apparel, white accounted for 9.4% of sellouts in FW23, which decreased to 8.6% in FW24 and further to 7.7% in FW25.
“This cooling demand aligns with a steady reduction in retail investment,” says Krista Corrigan, senior retail analyst at trend intelligence platform EDITED. Intake of white clothing has declined season-on-season, too. It represented 6.5% of women’s apparel arrivals in FW23, falling to 5.9% in FW24 and settling at 5.7% in FW25. A similar retraction was noted in spring/summer as well, dropping from 11.5% of women’s apparel arrivals in SS24 to 10% in SS25.
Still, white remains a go-to for designers at luxury houses, and the forthcoming winter season signals an embrace of the color — even beyond summer. “While its mass market dominance may be waning, luxury designers are leveraging white as a refresh this winter,” Corrigan says, referencing brands including Balmain, Givenchy, Tom Ford and Dries Van Noten, all of which featured winter whites in their AW25 collections. “Other retailers are showcasing the color in their emails, spotlighting cozy knits and opulent outerwear,” she adds. Mytheresa is leaning into this with its about-to-launch Moncler Grenoble exclusive. “[They] perfectly celebrate the winter season on the slopes with two snow-toned outfits,” Hsu says.
Waller expects shoppers to continue prioritizing white in 2026, but anticipates softer variants (much like cloud dancer). “Instead of stark optic white, we’re seeing a shift toward ivory, cream and ecru,” she says. “Those tones pair well with the warm colors continuing into 2026, I personally don’t see white going anywhere.”
Shah agrees, noting that white is an easier purchase to rationalize than many other colors — a key consideration for higher ticket purchases. “It’s timeless, it goes with everything, and it doesn’t feel like you’re chasing a trend that’ll be over in six months,” she says. “It fits with how a lot of people are trying to shop now, which is to buy less, but better.”
Still, some expect brighter colors to reign supreme in the year ahead. “White is merely functioning as a palette cleanser, preparing the consumer for an influx of brighter colors,” Corrigan says. “On the runway, designers are moving toward color clashing with vibrant shades like cherry reds, hot pinks, rich purples and chartreuse greens; noted at Valentino, Miu Miu and Prada. Instead, white appeared by way of monochrome looks paired with black, rather than in head-to-toe white color stories.”
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