The Colour You’ll Be Wearing In 2018

Link Copied

3 MINUTE READ

The Colour You’ll Be Wearing In 2018

Words by Mr Ashley Clarke

12 December 2017

Millennial pink is so 2017. Next year, it’s all about violet.

Ultraviolet is, depending on who you ask, the name of one of Mr Andy Warhol’s “superstars”, a type of light that gives you a tan or a 1995 Bananarama album. It’s also now the official hue of 2018, according to the self-proclaimed gatekeepers of colour, Pantone. The Pantone Color Institute declares a new year-defining shade every December, and comes to a conclusion by thoroughly analysing and forecasting colours in fashion, food, interiors and art. This means that come January, you can expect to be guzzling grape juice, meditating in your amethyst chant room and listening to Prince on repeat.

It’s a serious business. Ms Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, describes ultraviolet as “a blue-based purple that takes our awareness and potential to a higher level”. Whether you take that as reputable colour psychology or just a load of heliotrope histrionics is up to you, but either way, it’s likely that ultraviolet will enter your consciousness on some level next year. We’ll avoid proselytising further, but feel it worth pointing out that MR PORTER is home to rather a lot of stylishly purple garb at the moment. Scroll down for a few tips on how to style it out.

A tantalisingly easy (and current-weather-appropriate) way to weave Pantone’s new colour into your wardrobe is with a suitably bright winter accessory. This ribbed beanie by John Elliott is knitted from a mix of wool and angora, which means that as well as being insulating, it’s also incredibly soft. The scarf, which is the product of a collaboration between Los Angeles luxury brand The Elder Statesman and the National Basketball Association, will look just as at home courtside at a Lakers game as it will on a misty midwinter stroll.

Accessories may be the most accessible way to wear a shoutier shade, but that doesn’t mean it won’t work on larger areas. A soft purple sweater will go down a treat come spring, and the soft mélange of this wool AMI number prevents the colour from being too out there. Dress it up by wearing it over a white shirt, or slip it over a T-shirt for a vibrant weekend outfit. For a little extra warmth, try this Nike x Undercover gilet from the Nike Gyakusou line (which is, incidentally, full of purple garb). Bonus points, too, for practicality. The gilet is cut from lightweight shell for breathability, but is packed with down for extra insulation.

While we’re all for embracing a new trend, we appreciate that a bright pair of aubergine-coloured trousers may not be the easiest thing to pull off. This corduroy pair by Boglioli is a slightly subtler shade of purple, which makes the trend more straightforward to style. This camp-collared shirt from Everest Isles is a good option if you’re weathering the winter on a sunny beach, but will also work well under a thick wool jacket if, like us, you’re suffering through the snow.