When we think of fall, we think of orange and brown leaves falling off the trees and flooding the sidewalks. Naturally, we would bet variations of red, orange and black would be the most popular fall colors. This year, however, the fashion industry has dictated otherwise.

Pantone released its Fashion Color Trend Report for the Fall/Winter 2018 season and it contained a couple of surprises. We can expect to see the typical burgundy and navy hues. Red Pear (Pantone 19-1536) ranked number one on the Top 10 Color Palette and Sargasso Sea (Pantone 19-4031) ranked number one on the Classic Fall/Winter Palette.

However, when you start going down the list of the Top 10 Color Palette, you will encounter blues, purples and even greens—colors that are more popular in the spring. Limelight (Pantone 12-0740), for example, is a light shade of neon green, very popular among the accessories featured in this year’s New York Fall Fashion Week.

Another surprise was Crocus Petal (Pantone 15-3520), a shade of lilac. It’s very unusual to see pastel colors in a fall palette, but designers used these to create unexpected pops of color in their monotone clothing lines. In its report, Pantone described the new season as, "A modern fall palette of deep and rich tones with outbursts of colorful surprise." So don’t be surprised when you see people dressed in dark colored clothes, wearing a neon scarf or a purple bag in October!

Now it's time to start thinking—how are you going to incorporate the trendiest fall colors in your marketing material?

You can find out more about Pantone’s Color Trend Report here: https://www.pantone.com/color-intelligence/fashion-color-trend-report/fashion-color-trend-report-new-york-fall-winter-2018