Autumn colors, autumn wishes: Fall 2012 Pantones and more!

Yeah, it’s that time again. With autumn starting…tomorrow…the moment’s arrived for me to dig up the official Pantone fashion color report for fall, 2012. You may remember my dismay at last year’s muted, somewhat muddy palette. This season’s colors are a welcome change, incorporating clearer, cooler, crisper colors:

I usually avoid browns like the plague, but even this season’s brown tone – “French Roast” – has a clean, likeable charcoal quality to it. “Tangerine Tango,” a firey orange held over from spring, offers warmth and pop. More, those who spent money on higher end shoes and accessories in this color back in spring will be glad to know that they can eek another couple of months’ wear out the stuff they bought. 😛

Now, I’m a person who tends to go for practical, neutral shoes and accessories (usually black patent, because it’s seasonless), and I’m not usually one to jump on color bandwagons unless the colors and color combinations of the season really poke my happy gland. That said, the only color in this seasonal palette that I wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole is the “Honey Gold.” It’s ugly, not to mention way too warm for my cool Winter-toned skin and hair. On a specifically positive note, I’d even go as far as to say that I wish I could afford to put down the crazy money for the suspiciously-Tangerine Tango-ish orange Louboutins that were everywhere last spring (instead I went for – you guessed it – the black patent).

Now, for my seasonal wishes. Oddly enough, I don’t really have any! The main reason is that I’ve pretty much shot my wad on a. a house and b. so much other fashion crap (to be shared with you in the next few days) that I c. have no money and d. I now have almost everything I need and want already.

There are a few holiday items coming from Pinup Girl Clothing’s Laura Byrnes line that I hope to try, though. They include the Madeline taffeta party dress plus shrug:

How cute are they? I love the perky green plaid, and the charming peter pan collar on the shrug!

The other Laura Byrnes piece I really want is the Nicole dress in white floral print satin. Most contemporary florals are drab, overly abstract, and generally disappointing. It’s almost as if they’re too ashamed of themselves to really admit that they’re florals, but this one’s not at all apologetic about its floweriness. In fact, this print has a real vintage tooth to it; detailed blue-white blooms look crisp against a black background, with gold-tone sprigs to add a fallish touch. And with the clean, slim waist and poofy skirt, it’s got some serious period cred.

That’s it for now, but in the next few days, I’ll be sharing some of my recent vintage finds and repro/inspired purchases with you. Stay tuned, and be sure to tell me whether you’d be caught dead in any of this season’s Pantones! 😉 😀