Where is all the Radiant Orchid? - YouLookFab Forum

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Where is all the Radiant Orchid?

Peri

Veteran

I was so happy to see this color of the year thing with the color they call radiant orchid, as it has long been #1 on my top 3 color list. I was hoping to have lots of happy shopping and only the worry of seeing it on everyone and feeling it suffer from being overdone.

Instead, I don't see it anywhere in what lines are showing so far for spring. I saw it some in the winter lines but it almost feels like it was named color of the year and then promptly disappeared.

What I'm seeing instead are the colors that are my least favorite. So much peach, yellow, pale aqua, mint, salmon pink...and then black and grey. When I was a teenager my mother and her friends were majorly into Color Me Beautiful. I couldn't get past the name and hated the whole concept, but when all her friends named me Winter I was at least thrilled they didn't I think I was a Spring. That's what I'm seeing everywhere I look now...all those CMB Spring type colors.

Does being named color of the year actually have any fashion significance at all? How long does it take the color to make it to retail? Has anyone seen any rich, bright colors at all in Spring lines so far?

General

28 replies

Latest reply was from LoriFLA

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Yes!!! I was wondering the same thing!!

I remember it was emerald last year....and although we did see some emerald, it wasn't as much as I had expected.

Signed, a fellow radiant orchid lover who cannot wear peach, yellow, or aqua.

kkards

Veteran

I'm mostly seeing black and white (which I thought was supposed to be the thing last year), with some navy and a few pastels. Maybe it's to early? But then to Suz's point, I never saw much emerald green last year either

TraceyLiz65

(website)

Veteran

I am seeing more fuschia than what is called radiant orchid....

MsMaven

Veteran

I haven't seen much orchid either. I do see a tremendous amount of black and white, bright orange, and some emerald.

Linda

I found an orchid v neck tee at ON a while ago, one of their Perfect Tees (which I loooooove). I bought it on discount, to replace a similar style that was funny about spandex content. But that was the only piece of orchid I've seen now, for some time. I look good in some shades of aqua and peach, but they are not my favorites. And, I also had trouble finding any emerald to wear, last year. Hmmmmm .......

Windchime

Veteran

I finally saw quite a bit of emerald at our mall a few days ago, often combined with blue. Maybe it takes a full year for a color of the year to make it to retail in my midwest city. I also noticed a prevalence of navy, along with black, white, and pastels.

MRL

Veteran

I haven't seen much of the orchid color either. I have been looking for something in blush pink, but that color seems to be scarce, too.

unfrumped

Veteran

I was wondering the same thing!
And the recent In Style mag( or another style mag) had a whole spring spread on Mint.
Fortunately, I'm not trying to do orchid
as a trend, but am looking forward to find an item or 2- probably tops- in my favorite shade(s) of this color because i like it and it mixes well with my wardrobe. So ideally I'll hold out for the right item as well as color.

karymk

Veteran

I was shopping today and saw ONE orchid colored item in the mall.

Deborah

Veteran

I haven't seen anything so far here in Australia, but we are behind you seasonally.

Lisa

Veteran

A great question, I am curious too (and also haven't seen much of that color either).

Thistle

Veteran

I haven't seen much either. Lots of pastels, though, as you said. I am not as sad though, as mint, ice blue, and blush are kind to my pale complexion.

rabbit

Veteran

I have to google the pantone name to match it to a color I recognize reading threads like this, as I'm new to following fashion and what I'm picturing are artist pigments. Artist oil pigment emerald green is a bright clear true medium green, not a dark teal; artist pigment mint paint is a dusty pale green, not a pale tiffany bluegreen/aqua mix like Pantone mint is. And then I also have to trust my monitor colors... Pantone names are very confusing, and doubly confusing as they don't seem to be an accurate predictor of retail colors (at least for the season assigned).

fuzzylogic

Veteran

I can't explain that fashion blip, peri. I hope it filters through for you soon.

Kimberly from Penny Pincher Fashion did a great set (Feb 24) featuring a Gap sweater which may be your idea of 'radiant orchid'. On a different note, I just love the way this woman layers!!!

Jules

Veteran

There was very little emerald last year. I love emerald, I looked. I mean, the best I can say is that there was SOME as opposed to none? So, I feel your pain.
The best I can suggest is checking out catalogue-type retailers who offer things in a rainbow of colours and at least getting yourself some basics in your colour. LE has a few things in "sweet lilac", "light english violet", and in their dress shirts a darker shade called "loganberry":

http://www.landsend.com/shop/w.....-/N-fxrZt9

Anonymous

BR has a color called wild orchid. It seems to be selling very well. I found this gorgeous pencil skirt in my length, but my size is gone
http://bananarepublic.gap.com/.....=428024242
A sweater: http://bananarepublic.gap.com/.....=932954002
And another:
http://bananarepublic.gap.com/.....=933040012

Helena

Veteran

Hi, great question and I am not sure but suspect Windchime might be right, that it can take time for the color to find its way into the stores?

I'm remembering that scene in the devil wears Prada, where Meryl Streep lectures Anne Hathawy (roughly), oh, you are wearing turquoise, well that shade had to come onto the runway and get vetted and be the hot color and then eventually filters down to where you think you like it with no influence from the fashion world! I'm thinking some version of that comes into play?

lyn67

Veteran

Yes, it seems, Retail has forgotten to consult Pantone this year:-(

catseye

Veteran

Hi, I am a new poster. A lurker for many years but never posted. This is my first post.

Anyway, I just want to say that I feel the same way about Emerald green a few years ago. I really like that shade of green but it really was not in clothing that much when it was the Pantone color of the year. I found more now than back then.

Liz

Veteran

I remember reading an article that described how Pantone comes up with those color predictions. They gather a dozen or so decorators, designers, artists, etc. in a room and out of the collective brainstorm come the color lists. I didn't get the sense that Pantone's color brainstorming was in any way linked to the people who make decisions about retail clothing production.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Joy, thanks for those links. That orchid looks like a more intense version -- more like fuchsia, really -- or a slightly purplish, neon fuchsia. I would like to find the softer versions. The silk cotton sweater looks nice, though -- it would drape beautifully. And the colour reads as richer but less neon on my monitor.

rachylou

Veteran

I know! It's rather irritating. The only Radiant Orchid I've got is my gmail colour theme...

catgirl

Veteran

As Jules said it was the same with emerald last year!

Peri

Veteran

Thanks everyone...I think the collective wisdom is probably correct. Either Pantone has nothing to do with fashion and is trying to be more important than it is, or it just takes awhile. If Angie is watching Fall fashion right now, I guess those clothes were thought up before Pantone said a word. So this spring and summer may be too soon...maybe we will see more of it next spring.

Jules, thanks for the link...those colors are pretty but I never can get very excited about LE styles.

And Joy, thanks for the BR ideas. Hot weather is where I'm trying to focus now though, since I tossed 80% of last year's spring and summer closet.

Anonymous

I think of Radiant Orchid as more of a pink-purple but some may like this boxy cashmere pullover on sale:
http://www.eileenfisher.com/Ei.....Fine+Gauge
I want it but may size is gone.

AnnieMouse

Veteran

My experience is always that the pantone colour of the year ends up taking a year or two to trickle into mainstream. Don't despair - it just takes a bit. The year they did a turquoise, I was SO excited, and I didn't see it for two to three years in my area.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Found some Icy Orchid for ya. http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/.....;cid=72091

LoriFLA

I'm not sure how you feel about JCPenney, but I saw a lot of it there a week or so ago.

Open-stitch sweater (scroll down)

Boyfriend cardigan

etc.