Spice up a Fall Wardrobe

I have heard that spice colors are the “in” colors for fall this year.  I have heard it from TV shopping channels during their fall previews of jewelry or clothing.  I have also read about it in a few fashion magazines including the September issue of MORE in the “Best of Fall Under $250” article (sorry was not available on-line).  I started to check the over 1/2-inch thick In Style magazine while waiting for my haircut, but was called before I got very far.  That magazine was harder to verify the colors since many photos were black and white.  So from them we know the standards of black, white, and grey are still in vogue.  These 3 are always staples – it is just the names and tones that change from year-to-year.

In the past, designers have called their styles by jewel tones: onyx, ruby, emerald, sapphire, amethyst, pearl, coral, citrine, etc.  They have used vegetable and fruit colors in the past as well as a way to tempt us to indulge in clothing rather than food:  banana, eggplant, tangerine, celery, lime, pea, cherry, watermelon, etc. (See Fruit Trends and Style.com video from spring.)  Of course, the browns that coffee colors are always going to be favored in fall wardrobes: mocha, coffee (darkest), latte (lightest), cappuccino, and various café.  As are the fall reds of wine, burgundy, merlot, and bordeaux.

Cumin. Cayenne, Cinnamon, Oregano, Nutmeg, Mustard, Paprika



Now the trend is spices and herbs.  I think Cinnamon is the most touted color right now.  I have seen many versions of brown, reds, and rust (a combination of the previous 2).  Gold colors are being replaced with brighter yellows and muted tones more like mustard.  But they could also go for muted greens like Sage for fall and the standard Mint for spring. 

Please note that spices are not the only colors, just what I heard the most often.  So you can get an idea of others, here is a Fashion Trendsetter blog post on The Top 10 Fall 2011Colors for Women.

Let me know what spices you see on the clothing racks this year I the comments.  If you buy a color, use the comments to let me know how it has helped you stretch and/or update your wardrobe and maybe how much you think it increases your style factor (up so many percentage points or down?).