Even before deciding to launch "How to Not Hate Your Clothes," my obsession with colour was evident. I unashamedly collect paint swatches and can probably name most Farrow and Ball paints from memory. For as long as I can remember, I’ve looked forward to the naming of the Pantone Colour of the Year. This year was no different—well, apart from the fact that Colour is now literally my business.

For 2024, Peach Fuzz has been named the Pantone Colour of the Year. I can almost hear you thinking, "So what?" Allow me to explain.

Naming a Colour of the Year is less about predicting popularity and more about choosing a colour that acts as a timestamp for our current societal climate. It serves as a prescription, a tonic that provides what we need at this point in time.

Peach Fuzz, according to Pantone, "captures our desire to nurture ourselves and others. It's a velvety, gentle peach tone whose all-embracing spirit enriches mind, body, and soul." They go on to say, "In seeking a hue that echoes our innate yearning for closeness and connection, we chose a colour radiant with warmth and modern elegance. A shade that resonates with compassion, offers a tactile embrace, and effortlessly bridges the youthful with the timeless."

Undoubtedly, we've faced another challenging year, and the world seems in a perpetual state of chaos. In the face of financial and climate crises, one might wonder why colours are significant at all.

Pantone suggests, "At a time of turmoil in many aspects of our lives, our need for nurturing, empathy and compassion grows ever stronger as does our imaginings of a more peaceful future." We are reminded that living a full life requires good health, stamina, and strength. In a world that often emphasizes productivity and external achievements, recognizing the importance of fostering our inner selves becomes critical. As we navigate the present and build toward a new world, we are re-evaluating what is important, reframing how we want to live, expressing ourselves with greater intentionality, and recalibrating our priorities to align with our internal values."

Given that our colour prescription for 2024 is to soothe our busy minds and create closeness, how do we embrace a colour like Peach Fuzz?

Some of my favourite Peach Fuzz Colour Combinations

As a Colour Analyst, I instantly consider who would look great in this colour. Its light warmth makes it ideal for those with Spring complexions and could work for the Soft Autumns. A quick online search shows Peach's presence in stores, though, like many distinctive colours, it may not be everyone's immediate choice this year. Perhaps it's the rain lashing the window as I type, but Peach doesn't scream cold weather colour to me. In the summer months, I can definitely see myself wearing this shade. In fact, I'm pretty sure I have a picture of me wearing Peach on holiday.

As someone not inclined to jump on trends, I resist adopting a colour just because I've been told to. But in the words of Amanda Prestley in "Devil Wears Prada" during the Blue sweater speech, "You think this has nothing to do with you." The influence of Pantone can't be understated. We will, whether we conscientiously notice it or not, start to see Peach Fuzz in interiors, fashion, makeup, and design. It will become entwined in the culture and become common parlance, much like Millennial Pink did. So consider yourself warned. After that very same Blue Sweater scene, Andy is standing wearing Cerulean Blue, which I need to tell you was, in fact, Pantone's Colour of the Year 2000. So let's all take our colour prescription like good girls and feel better for it.