trend analysis: fall 2012 color palette

rainbow maxi dress :: heart/soul (love this ROYGBIV version) | cobalt blue kimono sweater :: maurice's (love this button up dress as a kimono-cardigan) | gold cuff :: charlotte russe | blue and gold beaded cuff :: pacsun | hot pink satchel :: nila anthony (lusting after this one) | taupe braided sandals :: forever 21 (sold out but similar here) | sunglasses :: charlotte russe

My boss told me today that I have quite the "eclectic wardrobe." Apparently, I dress "like a different city every day." Today, he said, was Portland, though I usually lean towards New York (meaning black and other dark colors). I've never put it in terms of cities, but I do enjoy exploring myself in a sartorial sense. My outfit defines my outlook for the day, and this dress allows me to pretend I'm at the beach when the humidity is so oppressive I feel as though I'm swimming through the air. I'm convinced there is no better way to survive the sweltering summer heat than in a maxi dress; add a light cardigan to ward off the office AC and some flat sandals, and you've got a look that can go from the office to the beach in the amount of time it takes for you to remove the aforementioned cardigan.

Portland apparently translates into an outfit that takes advantage of the remainder of summer by wearing as many bright, offensive colors at once as possible. Despite having railed against it since its inception, this summer has finally wormed its way into my heart and my closet, and I find myself oddly regretful to let it go. I realize that it's only mid-July, so it may seem a bit early yet to eulogize summer, but fall collections are already flooding the racks, and the beginning of school only a month away marks the unofficial beginning of autumn. The forthcoming onset of cooler weather promises to bring both a turn of the color wheel and a shift in the way we view fall hues in the years to come.

Traditional fall and winter palettes combine jewel tones with dark neutrals to create a panorama of deep colors, but as fashion progresses out from beneath the rules of yore, I think fashion lovers will be hard pressed to give up their brights so easily, at the mere whim of some archaic fashion law.

Instead, though the general hues of jewels will remain the fall/winter standard, the colors will lighten to more vibrant shades of amethyst, emerald and teal as opposed to traditionally deeper shades of each. We'll also see the muted influence of the neons and pastels from earlier in the year through an influx of not-so-basic primary colors like canary, cobalt and blood red alongside the fall classics of mustard, navy and brick. Be prepared for a continued mermaid influx in the form of gold flecks and deep sea blues, and pastels will remain evident, though with a slightly grayer hue (think lavender gray, dusty mauve and a stoney mint).

There also seemed to be an unspoken consensus among many of the designers - with one or two pops of bold neons making a statement in many of the collections, it appears that a dash of hot hues (generally covered in black brocade or crochet) is just the right amount of daring. Think of it not as coloring outside the lines, but as coloring your Santa hot pink instead of jolly red.

A few suggestions, via highfashionmagazine.com

You may notice a decisive lack of discussion regarding winter whites in this analysis of fall and winter 2012 color schematics; that is a conversation wholly its own and will be covered as such in an upcoming post as part of an ongoing series on trend analysis and prediction. What do you think so far? Am I spot on, or color blind? Leave your thoughts (and your own predictions) in the comments, and check out my Pinterest board, Fall 2012 Coloring Book, for inspiration straight from the runways and hot off the streets.