COLOR MARKETING GROUP of Alexandria, VA have been predicting American color trends in cars, fashions, textiles, home furnishings, home decor, etc., since 1963.

Tastemakers from around the world belong to this group, and convene seasonally to predict what colors will be "hot"... They really try to delve into the psyches of Americans and predict colors based not upon whims, but upon citizens' deepest concerns and motivations (like desire for racial equality, harmony with the prevailing economy, saving the ecology, etc.) So color is very serious business for them.

So... What say you? Does CMG have its finger upon YOUR particular color pulse?

Examine this page of forecasts for Fall/Winter 2008. You may notice that the actual color swatches are NOT revealed, but rather they are described in language. (Actual color swatches are given only to members who have paid many hundreds of dollars for the privilege.) If you read carefully though, you can get a pretty darned good idea of the shades they're talking about.

The have my number ! I found nothing to dislike in that whole thing , and I am usuaully a miserable customer when it comes to colours , get easily fed up in live in black and choose everything black. I am well pleased with the news about blue reds and blue greens , a bit sad to see purple get that loud , but what odds the 80s didn't phase me , this certainly will not.

Sounds all good to me, too, except turquoise, which I've never liked and can't understand why they keep saying that it's a color "everybody" can wear.

Hard to really know, though, from a written description and no visual.

The purples this season are especially pretty.

I ignore stuff like that and only wear my Spring palette and use Spring colors in my home.

I tend to stick with the Winter palette for clothing and allow myself more variety with the decor. For most small things I am not too bothered with colour trends but I have run into cases of shopping and not liking any of the colours on offer , hence the black , always the black.

I am a Summer and would never wear orange or pumpkin or school bus yellow, but purple is attractive with my fair skin. So if it looks good I will wear it. Technically I am not supposed to wear black going by the book but I find it is also a flattering color for pale skin. I would never wear it all the time. Too depressing.

I just got the new Avon catalog and they had purple purses and boots and makeup. I have been seeing a lot of black nail polish around. I used to associate it with Goth but it appears to have gone mainstream. I am so conscious of my short bitten nails to wear even a conservative pale pink polish, much less black.

Blargh! Not my pulse, that's for sure.

I noticed the "new" colors when I was shopping a couple of weeks ago, and I find them a bit stomach-turning. The real problem for me is the fuchsia/raspberry. I truly find this color nauseating, and it's EVERYWHERE. Fuchsia and turquoise. Fuchsia and brown. Fuchsia and yellow and black. I feel like I'm on an '80s power trip to Palm Beach or something.

Of course the people who owned our house before we did apparently loved fuchsia. We have a fuchsia sink and countertop in the bathroom, with fuchsia and turquoise and navy tiles in the tub. Every morning I want to grab a big sledgehammer and bash the whole thing in.

Rebecca, you echo my thoughts. I'm a summer too, and my color choices are the same, with one exception: I wear and love black (not all the time, though). And I wear black or very dark polish...on my toes.

Pair all (except turquoise) with my basic black and I'm good to go.

Yes! I'm glad to see bright colors returning. Paired with some creative grays, and you get some popping contrast.

I don't care for metallic/matte/whatever effects.

You can see some photos of the colors they're talking about here:

http://www.colormarketing.org/Media.aspx?i...r51_TSMenuID=51

I'm over black/white/gray. Oh, and no paisleys. For heaven's sake NO PAISLEYS!

I don't follow color trends as these. I wear and pick colors that work for me. Ones that I consider classic and will be good to wear and use years from now.

This sort of color forecasting, IMO, is very trivial.

I agree with you, at least in theory. I much prefer to wear colors that work well for me and wish these forecasts had no real effect. Unfortunately, the fashion industry listens to stuff like this and churns out stuff with the "latest" colors; if you don't like them, you're out of luck. I'm buying as little as possible right now. Just as well; more money for perfume. (Or, heaven forbid, the savings account.)

Well....I think we all wear the colors we like, and that suit us, despite trends, don't we?

It's just fun to talk about sometimes.

Yes, when we can find them.

Seen anything in periwinkle blue this year? How about a soft sage green?

SPRING's palette is fresh, energetic and crisp, with the clear warm colors of spring time - grass green, poppy red, and sailor blue. The Spring woman glows in her beautiful shades of peach, warm pink, salmon, coral, turquoise, and periwinkle blue.

The SUMMER Palette is full of pastels -- from powdered to vivid colors. The emphasis is on Blue -- Skyblue, Ocean Blue-Green, plus Cloud White, and the beautiful Pink, Lavender, Fuchsia, Rose, Mauve, and Watermelon -- all the tones of a summer garden.



I see variations of the new color scheme in my Summer palette, the deeper shades, esp.

The WINTER palette is dramatic with black and white, and vivid jewel tones - ruby red, emerald green, royal blue, purple, and hot pink and fuchsia. The Winter woman looks regal and elegant in her sparkling primary colors.


nubs, look at the rich reds and purples and jewel toned greens. They are perfect for the season.
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Twitchly, it sounds like you are a Spring. I admit that that is more of a challenge to find the new colors in your palette. Maybe richer, deeper versions of the colors you already favor. You always have turquoise, LOL!

Hoos, I don't like metallic much, either. I have always like pink and gray together. I have a charcoal grey skirt that I wear with a pale pink twinset. I think it is time to pump up the volume on the pink and try fuschia with gray. I don't think my husband cares for the pastel pink anyway. He likes bright colors and doesn't like anything that looks "babyish" or "little girlish".

I'm a Summer, too. Periwinkle and the whole violet family look good on me. Most greys. Ice cream colors.


But muted tints are better for me than saturated, truer tones.


My bete(s) noir(es)? School-bus yellow. Harvest gold. Pumpkin.

Give me chartreuse and lava orange any day!

In polka dots!

Doesn't seem like a trend I can embrace. I can wear the red-orange and pumpkin but not much else here. I'm an autumn, so forget the fuschia, berry-purples, blue-reds, greys. I hate it when the fashion industry creates these trends and ONLY these colors are available, it's hard to find what suits you in a lot of cases.
I don't think fuschia is a good color for a lot of people, FWIW -

Dave, I too hate those harvest gold, pumpkin, and school bus yellow. I am a Summer and so is my husband with his pale skin, blue eyes, and brown and gray hair. Our little boy is a Summer. He has our pale skin and blue eyes and my hair. Like mine was, it is blonde, turning brown.
Surprisingly, one of his favorite colors is school bus yellow. Last year we all were in Walmart and walked past a little school bus yellow turtleneck. I said to my husband, "I know someone who would like that." Our son piped up and said, "I like it." LOLClick to view attachment

Thanks for posting this, Dave. I couldn't remember the name of this group when looking online for forecasts last week. I'm currently researching going into business with a couple of other women, opening a boutique. This is the type of information I need to take with me when I go to the buying shows in Feb for a meet and greet to ID potential vendors... who's on top of things, who isn't...

But if you click on the "photos" link to the left, the text is illuminated with photographic examples.

Do you think this is a good time for such a venture, considering banks aren't lending money, people are losing their jobs and most people are cutting back on non-essential purchases?