As soon as I let my Facebook friends know Living Coral was announced as the Pantone Color of the Year 2019, they started responded with two distinctly different reactions: “Yuck! ” and “Yea!” Evidently coral is a divisive color! A lot of my people are wondering how to wear Living Coral since they know I’m totally into color. Here it is!

An animating and life-affirming coral hue with a golden undertone that energizes and enlivens with a softer edge.

From Pantone.com:

The description (which I always find fascinating because it’s supposed to reflect the sort of collective “feeling” of the moment) included these favorites:

• vibrant, yet mellow
• providing comfort and buoyancy
• sociable and spirited
• engaging
• welcomes and encourages lighthearted activity
• symbolizes our need for optimism and joyful pursuits
• embodies our desire for playful expression
• vivifying and effervescent

I’d say those describe coral quite well! 

I had to laugh when I realized how close the color I’m wearing in my current head shots are to Living Coral! I received a lot of compliments while wearing it as well as from posting the pictures. It’s definitely a color I enjoy wearing!

So now onto how to wear Living Coral.

It’s really about wearing the right coral for your Color Code.

Here’s a reminder on which Color Code you are: Introducing: Your Color Code

The first thing to know is a true coral is flattering on most people.

The color I’m wearing above would look good on practically everyone. It tends to perk up the complexion and gives a cheerful, sunny vibe.

There are shades of coral, however, that suit the Color Codes best.

LIGHT

A LIGHT can wear a true coral well in addition to a lighter hue, even a more pink or salmon variation. It’s so pretty with light gray or beige. A print that incorporates coral with light blues and greens would also be lovely.

DEEP

Us DEEP gals can go with a deeper coral, the darker the better. Coral is one of my accent colors in my wardrobe because it works nicely with the royal blue, turquoise and teal I wear a lot. DEEPs can pull off a medium shade as well, we just don’t want to go pastel or too pinky. Paired with teal or a forest green it’s perfect!

SOFT

Living Coral is perfect for SOFT ladies! I just adore coral for SOFTs and they can do almost any shade. It’s really nice with blues or greens and paired with brown or gray as well as denim. I love coral and lavender for spring. Coral and army green are also nice!

CLEAR

With my CLEAR gals, coral can definitely work, especially brighter shades and when paired with black and white or navy and white or anything else high contrast. A coral bag or shoes would be a fun addition to their wardrobe.

WARM

The WARM Color Code presents a challenge when it comes to coral. Some Warms wear it well because it’s close to the oranges they look great in. For some, however, it can clash with their skin tone, wash them out or even make them look more ruddy. It’s worth experimenting with though, especially if it’s kept away from the face like coral pants paired with an army green top.

COOL

Sad to say but my COOL beauties should stay away from coral unless it’s more pink or it’s kept away from the face and paired with shades of blue, purple or pink. Coral incorporated into a pretty floral with lots of cool colors would be OK. A pair of coral pants would be cute with a gray top. Otherwise stick to a coral nail polish or coral shoes as an accent.

For more personalized recommendations, schedule a color analysis with me and we’ll find the best colors for your Color Code. I have several shades of coral on hand to help you wear Living Coral or whichever shade is best.

You might even be a coral Signature Color! Discover Your Signature Color if you’re not sure.

What do you think of their pick for this year? How will you wear Living Coral?