Colors plucked from nature continue to inspire.
In a webinar, Hallie Spradlin, Fashion Snoops’ director of visionary, and Joanne Thomas, Fashion Snoops’ director of color, described three of the trend forecasting group’s five key color shifts for Fall/Winter 2026-2027. The shifts demonstrate how colors will evolve given social and cultural factors.
Fashion Snoops’ first color shift is Briny Hues, a palette reminiscent of murky waters and spiced delicacies. It consists of Caramelized, a burnt red, Algae Bloom, a tangy green, Dusted Fit, a faded purple and Unearthed and Pear Skin, which Spradlin described as weathered yet preserved browns and oranges, Briny Hues complements traditional winter materials and textures like densely packed woolens, pleats, vintage moiré, polished woods and natural wax coatings.
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The earthy colors speak to cultural drivers such as consumers choosing to savor experiences slowly over instant gratification and placing greater value on products like food and drinks. “Economic uncertainty has people yearning for and savoring simple pleasures, which marks a shift to surging on humble product categories,” Spradlin said. Consumers are seeking stability by rooting themselves in basic human values and familiar touch points. This shift, she added, is allowing people to recenter and reconnect.
The palette’s anchor color is Olive Brine, a swampy evolution of the more opulent greens trending in prior seasons. The color seamlessly blends richness with a familiar sense of reliability that feels both sophisticated and timeless, Thomas said. The color also imbues products with a sense of heritage and preservation with its quiet complexity. “It captures the growing consumer demand for colors that evoke indulgence while remaining quite enduring,” she added.
Thomas noted that it offers a fresh perspective on the classic khaki family. Olive Brine works well with other autumnal hues. It can also look uplifting when it’s paired with effervescent plain pink. The combination is playful and juicy, giving fall a blooming vibe, Thomas described.
Purple hues are at the forefront of Fashion Snoops’ second shift called Softly Bruised. The palette highlights the opulence and luxury that is traditionally linked to the regal color.
However, it also nods to the healing process of a bruise—from deep and soft purples to wilted pinks and puckered yellow. “This shift mirrors our own journeys of recovery, embodying the raw intensity of pain while celebrating the gradual hopeful transition towards healing,” Spradlin said. “The interplay of these hues, where bruised purples clash with soft pinks and pulsating yellows, creates a visually captivating experience.”
The Softly Bruised palette includes Puckered, a sharp green-yellow, Minted Blue, a refreshing blue hue layered with a gray mist and Soaked Violet, a saturated purple from Fashion Snoops’ forecast for Spring 2026. Wilted Petal and Subtle Umber “possess an enchanting charm, shifting seamlessly between pink and purple and brown hues so immersed and rejuvenated,” Spradlin said.
Black Jam, the anchor color, is a dark, mysterious hue that evokes a sense of deep sophistication and intrigue, Thomas added that its name suggests rich sticky preserves and slowly simmered fruits. She added that the color is both grounded and seductive and stands out on materials that feel rich, slick, and sheer.
“Black Jam really captures the essence of bruised, crushed berries preserved in luscious, robust richness. Its dark and moody character offers remarkable versatility, shifting effortlessly between bold drama and quiet elegance, and with both red and purple undertones, Black Jam evokes a sense of intimacy,” Thomas said.
The Softly Bruised palette reflects how consumers are adjusting to social turmoil by facing discomfort and confronting trauma—be it through therapy or transparent social media posts. “Unrest is pushing us into the shadows and allowing us to explore darker truths,” Spradlin said. The prolonged loneliness crisis is another driver of this vulnerable color shift. “Whether it is romantic, platonic, real or fictional, one interesting signal here is this idea of investing in found family. Societal shifts are moving people to redefine family,” she said, noting that more people are putting energy into mending friendships or devoting extra care to their pets.
Fashion Snoops’ third color shift, Buried Neutrals, finds harmony in duality. Spradlin said the timeless and “hard working neutrals” present a “compelling juxtaposition between fragility and strength, transparency and color, minimalism and craft, assertiveness and passivity.”
“This duality showcases the profound richness of neutrals that are often taken for granted,” she added.
Cultural drivers for the color shift include how consumers are adjusting to the climate crisis by trying to be more self-sufficient and how they’re embracing patience to manage stress.
Consumers are also rethinking how they value and repurpose clothing by leaning into the natural effects of aging and celebrating imperfections. The material selection for Buried Neutrals reflects this idea, by emphasizing shearlings, split leathers, canvas, organic cotton, clay and collected stones—materials that feel cherished and have simple beauty.
Described as “profoundly rich yet wonderfully understated,” Spradlin said the Buried Neutrals palette offers comfort through reliable and familiar colors. Velvet Truffle brings a bittersweet and indulgent brown. Eggshell and Weathered Greige exude understated durability. Sentimental Yellow is a soft buttery hue with warm and sunny qualities and Sour Milk is a sophisticated creamy white.
Emotive Gray, the story’s anchor color, has chilly and comforting tones. Thomas said the color “delves into the depths of human emotion, offering a refined balance of subtle sophistication and quiet intensity.” She added that the hue “captures a sense of stillness and introspection.”
The unassuming color has power, however. It can shift between moods, transitioning from cool and serene to warm and enveloping. It also lends itself to a variety of fabrics, from weatherproof shells to recycled metals and concrete.
