It's kind of hard to believe that Pantone had decided that a brown is to be 2025's colour of the year, yet in some ways, I'm not surprised.
Over the past decade-plus years, brown had gone out of fashion and greys have been the trend (you see this a lot in interior decorating).
This past winter in Australia we had a lot of different browns available in fashion, from the coolest rose beige (think of a pinkish light brown, often described as "mushroom") to warm camels and tans.
Then there were also many deeper browns in both cool and warm palettes. It was a delight for me to see as someone who is always telling most people to wear neutrals other than black, that they would actually be able to find alternative neturals in stores once again.
Fashion has cycles and browns started disappearing from fashion in around 2010 so it doesn't surprise me that 15 years later they are again at the height of fashion, this also happened to navy, which disappeared from fashion in 2000 only to reappear in 2015.
That brown returned to fashion this past year was one of the reasons Pantone selected this as their colour of the year. It has a warm and cosy vibe to it that feels a little indulgent.
After years of living in grey, brown makes its welcome return to both the interiors and fashion world.
As I always let you know, even though there is supposedly only one version of Mocha Mousse, you'll find many versions become available, even in their own marketing Pantone is showing that there are warmer and cooler versions of this kind of medium light brown.
What Version of Mocha Mousse Should You Look For?
Mocha Mousse is in that territory of being an almost neutral light brown, it's on the cusp between the more obviously warmer orange and yellow browns and the much cooler pink and violet browns. It has a little red in it which is why it teeters on the edge of warm and cool.
There are browns for everyone, it's knowing which is yours which helps you make the correct decisions for you in-store so you don't bring home a colour that's not going to be versatile because it doesn't go with the other colours in your palette, nor does it flatter you.
This kind of light-medium brown works well on many skin tones, but of course, you have to remember your colour and value contrast (as well as getting the right undertone).
- If it's a very similar value to your skin, then it needs to be worn with other colours, otherwise it can look nude.
- If it's a similar colour to you hair, it's going to be a fabulous neutral for you, what I call your staple neutral - as hair colour makes for a fantastic neutral as it will always work with you as you've always got your hair in every outfit.
- Maybe Mocha Mousse is similar to your eye colour. If this is the case for you, then it's also going to make a great neutral base for many outfits and it will pair well with your other colours.
Because we'll see a variety of these browns, knowing how to select your right undertone is key. Warmer versions will have a touch more orange, apricot or yellow in them, whilst the cooler versions will look a little more pink or even violet.
What Colours to Wear with Mocha Mousse
What Colours to Wear with Mocha Mousse?
As long as you have your undertone right, this colour is super versatile because it's a neutral, and so will pair with most other colours in your palette, provided you have the right intensity (so if you have a bright palette look for a more intense version, if you have a more muted palette select a smokier one.
Warmer - pair with your denim, apricot, burnt red and burgundy, warm red-violets, your olive greens, and even your warm pinks.
Cooler - choose to wear it with your cooler greens, reds, pinks, blues and violets. It really plays well with so many colours!
Discover Your Best Colours
Want to know which version of Mocha Mousse you should select? When you have a palette of colours that are in harmony with your own colouring, you'll find it much easier to pull together a cohesive and versatile wardrobe as you can mix and match colours with abandon, rather than struggle to put outfits together because your garments don't go together naturally. The value of your knowing your ideal palette will have you not only looking healthier and more vibrant, but also in your wardrobe making it so much easier to create outfits. Get your personal colour analysis now.
