Color Trends 2022

Years ago I was selling my lampwork glass jewelry at a home show, and the little boy of the host came up to the table where my jewelry was on display, in awe of the array of colors and shapes. He pointed to my creations, and in his sweet and innocent little voice, said, "allllll the pretty colors." The wonder and awe was evident in his voice. I recall his childlike fascination sometimes when I'm admiring a good color story.

While I do love alllll the colors, I confess I do look forward to seeing what shades emerge in the various color forecasts each year, and I enjoy the creative inspiration that can arise from working with a suggested color palette. You may or may not be aware that there are agencies that set the color trends years in advance; these agencies vary from field to field, but collectively, their color trends dictate what colors will be deemed as "popular" on an annual basis.

Now, that being said, we are not in any way recommending that you blindly follow the color trends (or any other trend, for that matter!) just because the powers that be suggest it. You do you, boo! But we are suggesting that, especially if you create jewelry or other items to sell, you maintain an awareness of the trends so they can guide you. By all means, work with colors that appeal to you; but keep in mind that you might have an easier time selling items in the seasons's popular colors, especially when it comes to fashion.

To start the year off in a colorific way, we've compiled some of the 2022 color trends so that you too can be in the know!

Pantone Color Trends: Very Peri, Color of the Year

Pantone is the leader of the pack when it comes to setting color trends for the fashion world.  In December, they announced that a new color, Very Peri, would hold the title of Color of the Year 2022.

“As we move into a world of unprecedented change, the selection of PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri brings a novel perspective and vision of the trusted and beloved blue color family,” says Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director, Pantone Color Institute. “Encompassing the qualities of the blues, yet at the same time possessing a violet-red undertone, PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri displays a spritely, joyous attitude and dynamic presence that encourages courageous creativity and imaginative expression.”

Image Credit: Pantone, Color of the Year, Very Peri 17-3938

Look to see a lot of this spritely and imaginative color in fashion and accessories this year. 

This shade is similar to the 2018 color of the year, Ultra Violet, a color that we all loved at WSW! Click here to shop our Very Peri favorites.

Complementary Pantone Color Trends 2022

Very Peri isn't alone in leading the color pack; it's got complementary color friends to play with! Here are some of Pantone's other color trending colors for 2022, and product pairings from WSW:

Burnished Lilac, Lotus, Muted Clay, and Dried Moss are part of the "Balancing Act" collection of colors. This natural, muted palette provides a soothing complement to the vibrancy of Very Peri.

Image Credit: Pantone

Our Earthy Multi Enamel Candy Disc Beads are a good color match for this subdued set.

The Wellspring Pantone palette features a harmonious blend of vibrant green shades that match the joy of Very Peri.

Image Credit: Pantone

Our Berry Matcha Big Dreams mix parallels this vibrant sensibility, in bold heishi beads that dare to make a color statement!


Amusements is the last of the Pantone color collections of 2022, and it is undeniably the most whimsical and joyous of the lot.


This color story elicits the same carefree confidence as some of our Tiered Tassels, most notably Retro Summer and Strawberry Lemonade:

Other Color Trend Sources

While Pantone "has reigned as the de facto color authority" according to this article from the Wall Street Journal (they have been naming a color of the year since 1999) they aren't the only ones calling the color shots.

Image credit: past colors of the year, from Pantone

Etsy

There are other companies within the fashion and design world that have also joined in on the Color of the Year trend. Etsy just announced its' color of the year as Emerald Green.

Emerald Green Acrylic Bamboo Beads 

Shutterstock

Shutterstock another agency that sets color trends. As a global provider of high-quality licensed images, Shutterstock is at the forefront of the digital design world, supporting artists and creatives on all sides of content creation. They have forecasted a trend towards calming hues in this tumultuous time, with Calming Coral, Velvet Violet, and Pacific Pink at the forefront. 

The Living Coral Tassel Mix from WomanShopsWorld


Velvet Violet Bone Beads 

WGSN

The final color trends agency we'll discuss here is WGSN, based in London, who call themselves the world's leading consumer trend forecaster. WGSN have announced Orchid Flower as their designated color of the year.

They say of this choice: "Orchid Flower has an intense, hyper-real and energizing quality that will stand out in both real-life and digital settings. It is also versatile enough to work across seasons and continents. In a challenging time, this saturated magenta tone will be a great way to create a sense of positivity and escapism.

Matte Metallic Fuchsia Enamel Candy Disc Beads from WomanShopsWorld

Kindred Colors

No matter, the source of the "color of the year" selection, there seems to be an underlying common theme. Purple is reigning as the color of the year, whether it's a redish-pink hue, or a blueish one. Very Peri, Velvet Violet, and Orchid Flower all have those feel-good and empowering qualities to them that our world needs right now, which is why they have been chosen as the trend.  May we all be supported by the the positive powers of this mystical color in 2022!