How are we feeling about "Ultraviolet" for 2018? - YouLookFab Forum

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How are we feeling about "Ultraviolet" for 2018?

LaPed

Veteran

Pantone has named Ultraviolet the colour of the year.

I'm pretty neutral towards this colour; I don't love it or hate it. Granted, I felt the same about last year's colour (Greenery) and the year before that (the pair of pastels). Greenery has't made it into my wardrobe at all, and I have all of one pale pink item (a hoodie -- also a cap in a darker shade of blush), and one pale blue (a linen scarf).

My wardrobe actually has less purple in it right now than ever before. I never intentionally purged my purple, but there hasn't been much of it in stores, and I'm pretty picky about what sort of purple I wear. I have one dress in a very deep, inky eggplant. I have a couple items in blue/burgundy plaid, which ends up looking like a deep purple where the colours intersect.

Looking back over the Pantone spring palette for 2018 (released in September), I'm not seeing too much that excites me. The tomato red and the bright lime could be good as accents for me, but not large swaths. I'd love to find shoes or a small bag in this colour. I like the mid-tone blue, and would consider trousers in this shade as a denim alternative, but I find this sort of bright medium blue very difficult to pair with blue jeans, except for very light wash as a tonal spring/summer look, which makes it less versatile for tops and toppers. "Arcadia" (jade green) is very appealing, and if I see this colour at retail I'd definitely pounce on the right item. I love it for interior design (esp kitchens and bathrooms) as well as for apparel.

What do you all think? Excited for purple, or any of these colours?

40 replies

Latest reply was from Mainelady

delurked

Veteran

I’m good with that color. I also like the spring crocus color, although it’s a tough find. I don’t have any greenery, though it’s a color that probably works for me. I also like the jade color. I am so wanting some sky blue/mid blue/turquoise in very particular shades. I’m surprised I can’t find more of what I like in that color palette. I do try very hard when I try on my favorite colors to make sure the fit is right. It’s easy to be distracted by good color and overlook poor fit. I ask myself if the item was in a different color would I go for it still - that usually focuses me back on the fit, and it’s why I put a lot of things back on the rack even though I’d like to bring the color home.

Mary Beth (formerly LBD)

(website)

Veteran

I grew up in Central Florida, and during the summertime, the thunderclouds would build up to this color, and it was always incredible to see. This is a color to gaze and marvel at.

Sadly, this is not a color I can wear. This type of purple makes me look exhausted. It seems to bring up blue-based circles under my eyes.

I do have pops of this color, and of deeper violets, in my home. It's gorgeous mixed with peacock greens and dark turquoise colors, or with bright ocean colors.

JAileen

Veteran

It's a pretty color. I use eyeliner this color, for my hazel eyes. I don't want to wear it though. I was talking about this just yesterday with a friend. I had a perfectly good down parka that I bought in the early 90s. It was a deep purple. I just couldn't bring myself to wear it anymore, and I donated it a couple years ago.

Chris987

Veteran

Loved in in the 80's (or was it the 90's?), but it seems dated to me now and I'm just not very interested. Rich deep cool colors just are not "me" these days. I do like lavender in small doses and have some basic purple in my workout capsule.

Diana

Veteran

I like it, but am not sure it plays super nicely with the rest of my wardrobe. I think it would be easier for me in summer, and would definitely wear a summer dress or something in it. Something I wouldn't have to layer a lot with. Would be lovely paired with silver or pale grey.

My purple of choice is a saturated plum, darker and with more red than UV.

ETA: I guess I could make it work with things like turquoise and teal, but those types of combos are very resort/tropical to me, which is not my thing.

Tanya

Veteran

I was about to post about this - I am super excited about this color, as purple ( in various shades) is my all-time favorite color. I hope there is a lot of it available in stores.

I am also very happy that the color palette has three other purple shades (Pink Lavender, Spring Crocus and Almost Mauve) and hope to make it a year of purple when it comes to shopping for new stuff. I also like three other cool colors from the palette: Little Boy Blue, Arcadia and Blooming Dahlia, as well as three of the neutrals: Sailor Blue, Harbor Mist and Coconut Milk. Overall, I really like 10 out of 16 colors, and would wear two out of remaining six as small accents (tomato red and dark brown) - I don't remember last time when so many of the colors worked for me. It seems like an excellent palette for Summer color season.

Diana

Veteran

On the other hand I've been looking for new snow boots and the color scheme on these with the ultraviolet laces/detail on these are attractive. So maybe I'll look for it in smaller doses.

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Barbara Diane

Veteran

I like it. Not quite my favorite purple, but close, I also would wearthe blue and green spring colors,

Anonymous

I'm a little cynical about the actual value of the Pantone colour of the season marketing tool. They release these statements when Spring 2018 has long been bought by retailers, and long since been designed and made by the manufacturers. It will be interesting to see what is offered by home decor companies - which is where this usually has more visibility. I'll be at the big home decor trade show in Toronto at the end of January and will be taking lots of photos . That all said, I am NOT a purple lover at all - but I do like ultraviolet. I'll use or wear purple only at the extreme ends of it's colour saturation scale: ultraviolet or pale , pale violet, or....a very very dark eggplant. Mid tones do not appeal to me at all - in fact I have an almost visceral reaction to royal and medium-toned purples (and not in a good way). Ultraviolet will be great in eye makeup, and I am looking for an ultraviolet velvet pillow to experiment with in my living room.

Marilyn

Veteran

I feel neutral towards it as well. It's actually a colour I can wear and in the past I would have been all over it. I tend to skew towards neutrals these days and have a hard time with colour. I like it in theory but not so much on me.

I'd say the colour I can most relate to in that palette would be Arcadia....a cool green. I'm also seeing a chocolate brown.....I'd love to see a more cocoa brown in stores.

Runcarla

Veteran

I have a love/hate relationship with purple. I am drawn to purple all the time - in clothes, furnishings, gardening. It is also my 'lucky' colour and 'power' colour, since good things happen when I wear the colour. What puts me off is the over saturation in children's wear, where it is ubiquitous in the girls department.

However, I am not above a challenge, and I decided back in November when I got my new (lavender) specs, that lavender or purple would be my next colour experiment. Rambling Ann invited folks to join her in a 2018 version of her 2017 'Ocean Park' project, and I've signed on with the goal of exploring the purple family.

I haven't found much to inspire in retail so far. I don't know how long it takes for the colour trends to be reflected in mass market. Regardless, you will probably be seeing a monthly purple post from me in 2018.

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LaPed

Veteran

Tanya -- I thought of you right away when I saw Ultraviolet!

Chris and JAileen -- Yes, it does seem like a late 80s/early 90s colour to me. Especially in tropical pairings with teal/turquoise, like Diana mentions. I definitely remember wearing and loving that combo as a young child.

LBD -- Yes, I can see this colour fitting right in in Florida! Deep purple thunderheads...love your description.

delurked -- You're so wise. It's hard to resist favourite colours even when the fit is off.

Barbara Diane -- I'm almost always more attracted to the cooler colours in the Pantone palettes, I can't help it.

Marilyn -- I'll be interested to see if chocolate brown makes a comeback. That also strikes me as quite 90s-era.

lisa p -- I'm skeptical too, but it's still so fun to keep an eye on colour trends. I think there's something of a trickle-down effect, where you don't really see the "in" colour until a year or two after it's announced. Certainly felt this way about pastel pink and blue -- I saw a lot of both in 2017, more than in 2016 tbh. No matter how quickly trends are supposed to turn over nowadays, I think it will always take a bit of time for them to really permeate. Part of it is the manufacturing cycle, part of it may just be the human mind's receptivity.

I try to stay as far away from decor trends as possible, because I'm not keen on replacing household goods before they're worn. I absolutely refuse to do seasonal throw pillows, linens, etc. If it doesn't work year round, year-after-year, I don't want it. No chevrons, ikat, southwestern, subway tile, etc in my house. lol. It's a New England cottage-in-the-woods, why pretend otherwise? New England houses look all wrong if everything is too new. This is the preppy in me -- furnishings aren't "good" til they're threadbare and covered in dog hair.

Violettt

I don't put much weight into the "color of the year", the "Pantone" color of the year, per say. BFD. Purple and lavender has always been my favorite color but that doesn't mean I have to wear it. I figured this out, after years. I don't think folks should run out to follow the color of the year or add items of this palette if they don;t choose to just because it's the Pantone color of the year. I've learned this numerous times over. I used to wear so much purple that I was the purple goddess. Not a good look. So I love the color? so what? does this mean I wear it constantly and it looks good? NO. Does the Pantone color of the year mean we fab fashionistas run out and buy the color of the year? NO, it should not mean this at all. Unless you adore the color. I do have a fab Dooney and Bourke lavender handbag, a fab pair of Arche purple suede booties a fab cashmere scarf, and other items.

Runcarla: your last pic is the color of heavenly violet, my favorite color. I am a bit excited about this color, for color's sake. It is a heavenly color. The color of Royalty. The color of heaven.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I heard on the news (yes, the news!) the other night that lavender will be big for spring.

I like this colour in theory and it probably looks great on me, but I'm a bit leery of a purple as "flat" as this for the reasons Carla mentions. If I see a scarf or top in this colour I'll give it a try in the spring...

rachylou

Veteran

I hated it at first, but it’s growing on me... making me reconsider what colours I want to paint my sitting room...

Kathie

Veteran

I always find the Pantone colors to be helpful in refreshing my eye, and as inspiration to try something new. The ultraviolet is definitely not a color I’ll be adding to me wardrobe, but I could certainly see myself adding a scarf in sailor blue/little boy blue/lime punch. The darker blue would be grounding with much of my wardrobe, while the lighter blue and yellow/green are colors I like, but don’t have much of already.

UmmLila (Lisa)

Veteran

I like ultraviolet, but it’s too much on me and I look a bit washed out. I am on the lookout for lavender.

I agree with Lisa P that what we see in stores may be totally different. I remember being jazzed about honeysuckle pink a few years back and only finding lip balm and towels in the color.

Dianna

Veteran

I like this color and I am looking forward to see what is actually available at stores for spring. I would love a pair of shoes and/or a handbag in this color. I like most of the Pantone colors for spring, there are only 4-5 (emperador being one of them) which I really don't care about.

Rambling Ann

(website)

Veteran

Happy dance! If it actually shows up in retail that is. I love this color, it looks good on me, and it fits my wardrobe plan. Now, like Lisa said, let's see if we really get some.

Jenni NZ

Veteran

I think I agree with La Ped that they are often seen the following year, not the year they're meant to be for. Maybe that's a timing issue as per Lisap, maybe it's also that it depends what the public catch onto. If the public start buying one of the colours of the year, like with the Rose Quartz of 2016, presumably more in that colour gets produced. I'm excited about the bright yellow and bright tomato red, colours I already have and may find more things to match with. Bright yellow only seems to be a thing every few years but I have always loved it and always will!

Sal

Veteran

I have noticed some of them trending through- orchid a couple of years back and a rust or terracotta currently.

I am unsure that I will wear purple except in gear - not particularly my colour. But I hope it appears as there are definitely fans!!

The Cat

Veteran

Hope to see clothes and accessories in Ultra Violet as well as Spring Crocus and Pink Lavender. Love most shades of purple and think that two or more shades look beautiful worn together.

However, here in Scandinavia, it seems that Pantone's colours of the year have little influence on fashion, perhaps more so on home decor. For years, I have wondered: Will we see more dresses, blouses, pants, shoes or whatever in Pantone's colour of the year? But no. And the reason probably is, as explained by lisap in an interesting comment above, that several products have already been designed ...

As for the Pantone colours for 2018, I am only excited for the three purple shades I've mentioned. White and gray are useful basic colours for me, but will always be teamed with non-neutral colours. And I wonder how they come up with such fancy names as Coconut Milk and Harbor Mist for a simple clean white and a plain medium grey.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

La P, I feel exactly the way you do about purple, and this shade in particular. I would not mind some purple back in my wardrobe, but it has to be the right purple in the right fabric and the right garment. Frankly, a lot of the purple I see (what little there has been at retail) looks unsophisticated for my preferences. I am more drawn to deep eggplant shades than other purples.

Marilyn

Veteran

La Pedestrianne......The last time I mentioned brown Angie said to hold tight because it's coming. Fingers crossed! Cocoa brown is probably my best neutral but pretty elusive at the moment.

Joy

Veteran

Not at all excited about any purple...to cold a color. I am glad that tomato red is on the list. The pale Harbor grey and warm sand color are both neutrals I'd like to have.

Emily K

(website)

Veteran

I'm not a fan. It is a little "Grape-ape" for me. The only purples I really like are aubergine/eggplant trending to cabernet. I've been looking for a cool/chalk white, though and "Coconut Milk" (is that what it was called?) might be the one.

Katerina

Veteran

I like the ultraviolet, but I don’t love it. It is not the perfect violet colour for me, I prefere darker, stronger tones.
I like the yellow and the lime colours and the tomato red - these would agree with me and my wardrobe. The jade green is also very nice. It would be lovely with a pair of great trousers in this colour. I like the neutrals too, but not too excited - as The Cat says - useful basics.

tulle

Veteran

I'm with lisa p: I rarely find the Pantone color choice particularly compelling, and UltraViolet does nothing for me. Between icy lavender and dark plum I avoid violet shades.

cindysmith

Veteran

I actually love purple in any variety, but I won't be adding any to my wardrobe. I wouldn't wear it. I may add some of it into my house, but not my clothes.

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