PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse, Color of the Year 2025.
Courtesy: Pantone
“Mocha Mousse” was dubbed 2025’s color of the year, according to the Pantone Color Institute, which it described as “a warming, brown hue imbued with richness.”
Leatrice Eiseman, executive director Pantone Color Institute, described the shade as “sophisticated and lush, yet at the same time an unpretentious classic.”
Rooted in “quiet luxury,” the mellow hue “extends our perceptions of the browns from being humble and grounded to embrace aspirational and luxe,” she said in a statement.
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“Quiet luxury,” marked by such muted tones, first caught on in a big way after Gwyneth Paltrow’s ski accident trial in 2023, but has stood the test of time.
The trend hit on a formula that works and is easily replicated with neutral colors or completely monochromatic looks, according to Thomaï Serdari, professor of marketing and director of the fashion and luxury program at New York University’s Stern School of Business.
Actress Gwyneth Paltrow enters the courtroom for her trial in Park City, Utah, March 24, 2023.
Rick Bowmer | Getty Images
‘Inherent richness’ and ‘comforting warmth’
“I am not surprised at all about the staying power of quiet luxury as it has given consumers a new pathway to identifying new neutrals that work with a variety of lifestyles,” Serdari said.
It is also fitting, heading into a new year with a new administration, that the color of the moment is seemingly benign, Serdari added.
“If ‘Mocha Mousse’ could express feelings, these would be cautiousness, safety and a permanent state of suspense,” she said.
Feeling comfort and harmony in “an ever-changing world” and indulging in “me moments,” as Pantone describes the shade, may be just what consumers are looking for.
Mocha Mousse’s “inherent richness and sensorial and comforting warmth extends further into our desire for comfort,” Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute, also said in a statement.
Ellyn Briggs, a brands analyst at Morning Consult, forecasts a heightened “self-care” prioritization among shoppers in 2025.
“The mood right now is, overwhelmingly, fatigue,” said Briggs. In the pandemic years, the idea of self-care was closely tied to physical health and “curating your own space” during the lockdown, she said.
Next year, self-care will come in the form of connecting with others, and more “mental-health focused,” Briggs said.
“A lot of women, especially, are feeling disconcerted with the outcome of the election,” she said. “As women drive so much consumption trends, whether they’re online or offline, brands will definitely want to have to speak to that feeling.”
