Pantone reveals must-have colours for 2020 (and they're not what we were expecting)

As lockdown restrictions have begun to ease, you might have found yourself faced, for the first time in a while, with question of what to wear apart from your pyjamas. If being on trend is your thing, everyone's favourite colour authority Pantone is on hand with the "must-have colours" for fall 2020.

Fashion trend forecasting company Heuritech has collaborated with Pantone to reveal exactly what colours are set to dominate your Instagram feed this Autumn. And it seems there's one particular shade leading the pack: mint. (Check out our guide to colour theory to ensure your knowledge is in mint condition). 

Heuritech's report, titled Must Have Colours for Fall 2020, uses social media data to spot colour trends, with "state-of-the-art colour detection capabilities on fashion pictures in order to get as close as possible to true colours (in spite of filters, shades, etc)". The report identifies 5 Pantone colour themes (below) for fall 2020: mint, pastel, earth tones, blue tones and pink.

Given the incredibly turbulent year so far, we have to admit, pastel shades are far from what we were expecting to see. But it's a pleasant, somewhat calming surprise.  

Pantone colour themes

Heuritech's 5 colours themes for fall 2020. (Image credit: Heuritech)

The report highlights a particular shade for each colour theme. The headline mint colour is 'Misty Jade' (below), or as it's more technically known, 13-6008 TCX. According to Heuritech, this colour is mostly worn by "edgy people" (which might explain the absence of Misty Jade in our wardrobe). The same goes for the pastel selection, 'Lupine'. 'Pink Lemonade', however, is instead the fashion of choice for "trendy people". You learn something new every day.

Pantone must-have colours

Edgy. (Image credit: Heuritech)

Even if you're not hugely fashion-conscious, it's intriguing to see how the report has used its design AI to attribute specific colours to certain styles, as well as the interconnection between colour design and fashion. You can download the report from Heuritech's website

It's been a busy year for Pantone, with the company revealing its brand new Color Match Card, which works like a real-life eyedropper tool. And now that Pantone and Heuritech are ensuring the high street looks minty fresh post-lockdown, we expect to see some Misty Jade and Pink Lemonade face masks out and about. Here's where to buy a face mask if you haven't got yours yet. 

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Daniel Piper
Senior News Editor

Daniel Piper is Creative Bloq’s Senior News Editor. As the brand’s Apple authority, he covers all things Mac, iPhone, iPad and the rest. He also reports on the worlds of design, branding and tech. Daniel joined Future in 2020 (an eventful year, to say the least) after working in copywriting and digital marketing with brands including ITV, NBC, Channel 4 and more. Outside of Future, Daniel is a global poetry slam champion and has performed at festivals including Latitude, Bestival and more. He is the author of Arbitrary and Unnecessary: The Selected Works of Daniel Piper (Selected by Daniel Piper).