How about a little story for an intro…
My father was a carpenter so as a child I spent an unusual amount of time in hardware stores. I would always gravitate to the Paint Department and keep busy (and out of trouble!) by looking at all the beautiful paint swatches which I couldn’t believe the store would give away to you for free!
My mom used to teach pre-school in the basement of our home which meant unlimited access to paints, crayons and bright crepe paper to do my bidding.
I grew up loving colors. Nothing was more exciting than back-to-school shopping and getting a brand new box of pencil crayons or better yet – scented markers! I loved everything about the colors; not just the tones but the different names ‘they’ would make up to describe the colors…whoever ‘they’ were.
Today, I find it uncanny that I ended up with a graphic designer as a boyfriend. Now I understand ‘Pantones’ and I now know who ‘they’ are.
So from the people at Pantones.com here is a preview of the Color Trends for 2010:

PANTONE 15-5519
TURQUOISE – Congratulations to this color! It made Pantone of the Year! Splash this tropical color on to update the ever-popular grey that was the hot neutral for fall and winter.
Unexpected color pairing: Turquoise with Red or Deep Purple.

PANTONE 18-3945
AMPARO BLUE – Next to the Turquoise, this looks like a repeat of the Blue and Moss color combo that was so hot this past fall. If you’ve got blue peepers or black skin, this color is your best friend. Fresh Out is featuring tanks in this shade at our 20-10 sale so come grab one before they’re all gone!
Unexpected color pairing: Amparo Blue with tiny pops of Aurora (see below)

PANTONE 16-1219
TUSCANY – Personally, I’m not a big fan of browns, especially not washed out versions like this chocolate milk stain. I don’t think giving it a romantic name like ‘Tuscany’ is really going to help sell a garment this shade either. BUT, neutrals have their place so let’s pay respect and reserve this color for something like safari shorts or an accessory like a braided belt over an Ivory Tunic Top. Ok, Next!
Unexpected color pairing: Tuscany with Tangerine

PANTONE 17-0627
DRIED HERB – No doubt paying hommage to BC’s favorite pastime. I have a pair of canvas shorts in this shade that looks great with soft, feminine pinks. This color would look great on a jumper or jacket.
Unexpected color pairing: Dried Herb with Red (Ooooo think red coral jewelry as an accessory!)

PANTONE 12-1107
PINK CHAMPAGNE – Not only my party drink of choice, but also one of 2010’s color line up. Use this to soften up tougher shades (such as the fore-mentioned Dried Herb). You’re going to want to keep this ultra-girly shade exclusive to flirty pieces: a ruffled camisole, chiffon dress, ribbons, so on. Nothing structured or harsh. And please, no swimsuits unless your skin is atleast 5 shades darker – no one likes to be caught doing a double take!
Unexpected color pairing: Pink Champagne with Black (I envision this mix as a polka dot or tiered layers)

PANTONE 18-1661
TOMATO PUREE – We’ve seen Red all over the runways, especially on models’ lips. This is the shade of choice for this year and I’d say its Delicious! Handy Tip: for real tomato stains, after washing hang outside in the sun. UV rays will fade the stain to nothing.
Unexpected color pairing: Tomato Puree with, yep, Turquoise wins again! Or deep Purple

PANTONE 16-3320
VIOLET – Its no coincidence that you’ve seen this shade in tons of ad campaigns (the first that comes to mind is Herbal Ecscence Tousle Mousse with Violet scent). I’m more into cooler tones so I prefer Lavender but this is pretty aswell. This shade will look good as a part of a print for a girly frock.
Unexpected color pairing: Violet with Mettallic Gold

PANTONE 16-1543
FUSION CORAL – This one is a little deceptive on the computer screen. In real life its a little orang-ier and more vibrant. Here is an example on one of Fresh Out’s tops:

Unexpected color pairing: Fusion Coral with Sky Blue

PANTONE 15-0513
EUCALYPTUS – The new shade of Grey has taken on a greenish hue. Looks a little something like my boyfriend’s Bauhaus sofa downstairs – the one that is impossible to match anything to! Grrrr! I would say match this with white or soft blue-greens.
Unexpected color pairing: Eucalyptus with Violet

PANTONE 12-0642
AURORA – It seems greens are bleeding their way into many different colors this season. This acid yellow shade has a citron greenish tinge to it. Fresh Out featured this shade on one of our winter caps. The gamble paid off and people liked the unique shade so it looks like we may feature this bold color again.
Unexpected color pairing: Aurora with Amparo Blue (see above)