Why Pantone Went with a Simple Neutral for Its 2025 Color of the Year
Meet the unassuming shade.
In past years, Pantone has been known to choose some really flashy, bold hues for its Color of the Year. Remember Viva Magenta from 2023? Or Illuminating, a bright yellow that was just one of two Colors of the Year for 2021? And we can’t forget Living Coral in 2019 and Tangerine Tango in 2012.
But for the 2025 Color of the Year, Pantone went with brown. Yes, brown, but don’t call it boring. In fact, the color authority is hoping it will make us rethink the hue that usually has a repetition of being ho-hum, dull, and a basic neutral. Browns can actually be luxurious, comforting, and rich. Say hello to the newest “it” color, Mocha Mousse 17-1230, a warm and deep brown shade.
Courtesy of Pantone
“Underpinned by our desire for every day pleasures, PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse expresses a level of thoughtful indulgence” says Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director Pantone Color Institute. “Sophisticated and lush, yet at the same time an unpretentious classic, PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse extends our perceptions of the browns from being humble and grounded to embrace aspirational and luxe. Infused with subtle elegance and earthy refinement, PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse presents a discrete and tasteful touch of glamour. A flavorful brown shade, PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse envelopes us with its sensorial warmth.”
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When you think about it, the choice makes a lot of sense. How may times have you heard the words “quiet luxury” or “little treat” or “demure” on social media in the past year? It seems the collective population (or at least people on the Internet) are gravitating towards the little, simple pleasures in life. With choosing the color, Pantone has captured the “global mood of connection, comfort, and harmony.”
“For Pantone Color of the Year 2025, we look to a mellow brown hue whose inherent richness and sensorial and comforting warmth extends further into our desire for comfort, and the indulgence of simple pleasures that we can gift and share with others,” adds Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute.
Since the Pantone Color of the Year can have a lot of influence across all consumer categories—home & design, fashion, beauty, tech, and more—you might be seeing Mocha Mousse all over in the coming year. To give you a head start on the color trend, take a look at some Mocha Mousse-inspired items below.
Spoonflower x Pantone Marigold Strings Mocha Mousse Wallpaper
Wallpaper brand Spoonflower has partnered with Pantone on a special collection featuring the hue.
Joybird Briar Sleeper Sofa
Mocha Mousse would look good on a sofa, right? Joybird has partnered with Pantone to offer the Color of the Year in its shade offerings for select furniture.
Kosas Wet Stick in 100 Degrees
Add the warm neutral to your makeup routine for that “no-makeup makeup” look.
You can smell the Color of the Year, thanks to Pura. The smart home fragrance company is debuting a color-matched Pura 4 diffuser, plus two fragrances inspired by Mocha Mousse: Mocha Moments (top notes of melted chocolate and roasted brown sugar, middle notes of coffee, mocha foam, and hazelnut, and bottom notes of vanilla, amber, and smoked cedar) and Mocha Suede ( top notes of coffee bean, cardamom, and walnut, middle notes of leather, saffron, and santal, and bottom notes of guaiac wood, patchouli, and amber).
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