By: Ava C. Green, Editor-in-Chief
2024 marks the 25th year of Pantone’s Color of the Year program, and to ring in the silver anniversary of the company’s colorful celebration, they’ve decided that Peach Fuzz would represent this new year.
I’ll leave you to decide for yourself if Peach Fuzz is a more pink-y orange or a more orange-y pink, but it’s a light and warm mix of the two colors that is simultaneously bright and pastel; new and nostalgic; exciting and inviting. Pantone’s inspiration came from the idea of “future nostalgia” — “a contemporary ambiance — one whose gentle lightness and airy presence lifts us into the future,” said Laurie Pressman, vice president of Pantone Color Institute. Still, Peach Fuzz balances its refreshing tone with the familiarity and coziness of a simpler time.
The executive team at Pantone was looking for a versatile shade like Peach Fuzz to mimic the “want to be close to those we love, and the joy we get when allowing ourselves to tune in to who we are and savor that moment of quiet time,” Pressman continued to House Beautiful Magazine. If these wants and joys are something that you want to pursue in 2024, incorporating this up-and-coming color into your life is a pretty fun first step.
When I think of peach — after the fruit, the emoji and the famed princess from Super Mario Bros — I think of blush. As a makeup lover and blush over-user, I can say that nice peach-y blush looks great on just about every skin tone and translates to just about any look. Fenty Beauty by Rihanna carries a cream blush called Peach Face that may be a few shades deeper than Peach Fuzz, but with a light and blendable formula, it still achieves that soft glow of the Pantone color. The Kitten Baby Pressed Blush Powder by Kylie Cosmetics is a much closer color match to Peach Fuzz and has a timelessness that makes it deserving of a spot in every makeup Kaboodle.
As much as we should embrace this shade and the comfort it instills, Peach Fuzz is much more stunning as an outstanding accent color, rather than a shade for a grand display of monochromaticity. Peach Fuzz is a not-so-subtle shade and can be incorporated subtly to create a sense of balance to complement the multifaceted nature of the color. A limited edition Pantone Peach Fuzz Neutral Grid Play Rug was recently made available on ruggable.com and matches the nostalgia of the color with its useful geometric pattern, creating the perfect accent rug that pairs perfectly with shades of tan, blue, green or just about any color with earthy undertones. Peach Fuzz-colored flower arrangements also give a light and comforting feel to any space.
Pantone’s team wanted the color’s name, “Peach Fuzz,” to focus on the feel of the color — a subtle softness — when considering the values that the color evokes and the ways it can be worn. Because of this, the shade translates beautifully to knitwear like scarves and beanies to brighten up the dreary cold. Overall, the color is supposed to represent calm and comfort, and you can dually achieve that by cozying up in some Peach Fuzz apparel.
Laurie Pressman went on to tell Good Housekeeping that “Peach Fuzz awakens our senses to the comforting presence of tactility and cocooned warmth.” Even if you don’t find yourself trying to style this stunning new shade, we still hope warmth, acceptance and comfort find you throughout this new year.