Cloud Dancer

The color Cloud Dancer is officially the color of 2026. It has been described as a balanced color that carries subtle warmth. It also gives a feeling of airiness. It’s a color that evokes clarity and calm.

It doesn’t surprise me that, for the first time, the Pantone Colour Institute has chosen an off-white as the Colour of the Year. Since the millennium turned, I have observed only subdued colors. Besides a few bright color choices from past years, dark and neutral colors have dominated. Black, grey, beige, greige, dark blue, and dark green have been prominent. All the neutrals in between have also dictated the first quarter of this millennium. Neutral colours are considered dormant; they create no reactions, emotions, or feelings. In other words, they put the brain to sleep.
It seems to me, the game is to keep people sedated and emotionless. Not even hospitals have white walls anymore, as patients recover faster when cheerful colors surround them.

White is certainly a good color for brunettes, but a lot less for blondes. I am not a lover of dormant colors, but I want to stay positive. I will show that white can be incorporated into my wardrobe. I will use it in small quantities, even if it doesn’t go with my complexion.

First of all, my white will have sparkles for day or evening wear. Then, I will use a in B & W or color cravat, together with pearls.

My second choice will be a colorful chabot with a huge brooch (below). Men wore the chabot on their shirts in the 1800s and it is now part of women’s wardrobe.

The industry can dictate all it wants; ultimately, the choice is ours. 2026 is a strong year; it sums up to the number 1. That means the universe cycle starts all over and strong. I will forget the dormant colors that will put my brain to sleep. I will add some rhythm into my life with colors that shake someone’s foundation. Occasionally, I will be cloud dancing, not because I want to feel calm, but because I want to dream of the impossible things I can still do.

I hope you had an amusing passage into the new year. Happy 2026. Ciao,
Valentina

Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion consultant, color therapist, author of 6 published books, a storyteller, and a longtime blogger. She was recently certified as a “Color Analyst.” Her books offer non-fictional, practical ideas. These ideas can be applied in the home, fashion, cooking, and travel.
Get a copy of her books here: Amazon and Barnes&Noble