Pantone has announced its Color of the Year for 2026 as “Cloud Dancer,” a shade of white described as “billowy and balanced.” The selection marks the first time the company has chosen a white hue in its annual tradition, which began in 1999. According to Pantone, the colour represents a collective desire for “respite, less noise, less fun, more simplicity” and a “fresh start.”
However, the reveal on Thursday was met with widespread disappointment on social media. Critics called the shade “boring” and “colourless,” with one Instagram user commenting, “Is colour in the room with us?” Another wrote, “Go girl, give us nothing,” while a third said, “So....white. I guess we're all feeling completely uninspired these days.”
Some interpreted the choice as politically charged, linking it to far-right white nationalism. One comment, which garnered over 1,000 likes, described the selection as “painfully tone-deaf” at a time “when white supremacy is resurfacing loudly in national leadership and policy.” Others dismissed the backlash, arguing that “sometimes a colour … is just a colour.”
Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute, explained that the choice reflects 2026 as a “transitional time” when “people are questioning everything.” Executive director Leatrice Eiseman added that Cloud Dancer is “imbued with serenity — a calming influence in a frenetic society.”
Last year’s pick, “Mocha Mousse,” a light brown shade, proved popular in fashion. For 2024, a light peach colour was chosen to represent a desire for nurturing.
