Mocha mousse is the color of the year 2025

Mocha Mousse was named the 2025 Color of the Year by the Pantone Color Institute, which described the hue as “a warming, rich brown hue.”

Leatrice Eiseman, chief executive of Pantone, said the color was “sophisticated and lush, but at the same time an unpretentious classic.”

The soft hue is based on “quiet luxury” and “expands our perception of brown tones from humble and down-to-earth to ambitious and luxurious,” she said in a statement.

More from Personal Finance:
The must-have gift of the season could be a “deception.”
Here are the best ways to save money this holiday season
28% of credit card users are still paying off last year’s vacation bill

The quiet luxury trend, characterized by such muted tones, first gained widespread traction after the outfits Gwyneth Paltrow wore to her 2023 ski accident attempt drew attention, but it has stood the test of time.

According to Thomaï Serdari, professor of marketing and director of the fashion and luxury program at New York University’s Stern School of Business, the trend has hit on a formula that works and is easily replicated with neutral colors or completely monochromatic looks.

“I’m not at all surprised by the staying power of quiet luxury, as it has opened up a new avenue for consumers to find new neutrals that fit a variety of lifestyles,” said Serdari.

It is also fitting that as we approach the new year with a new government, the mood of the moment is seemingly innocuous, she added.

“If ‘Mocha Mousse’ could express feelings, they would be caution, security and a constant state of tension,” she said.

Feeling comfort and harmony in an “ever-changing world” and enjoying “me moments,” as Pantone says, could be exactly what consumers are looking for.

Mocha Mousse’s “inherent richness and sensual and comforting warmth goes even deeper into our desire for comfort,” said Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute, also in a statement.

Ellyn Briggs, brand analyst at Morning Consult, predicts an increased prioritization of “self-care” among shoppers in 2025.

“The mood is mostly tired right now,” Briggs said. During the pandemic years, the idea of ​​self-care during lockdown was closely linked to physical health and “curating one’s own space,” she said.

Next year, self-care will take the form of connecting with others and will focus more on “mental health,” Briggs said.

“Many women in particular are worried about the outcome of the election,” she said. “With women driving so many consumer trends, whether online or offline, brands definitely want to express that feeling.”