{"id":33377,"date":"2026-08-08T22:50:39","date_gmt":"2026-08-08T17:50:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=33377"},"modified":"2026-08-08T22:50:39","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T17:50:39","slug":"why-pink-may-be-the-in-color-of-2026-heres-why","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=33377","title":{"rendered":"Why pink may be the &#8216;in&#8217; color of 2026: Here&#8217;s why"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/AP26210828941299-e1786210480728.jpg?w=900\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>\n        <iframe id=\"instaread_iframe\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Audio Article\" style=\"display:block\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\"><\/iframe>\n    <\/p>\n<p><\/instaread-player><\/p>\n<p>(NEXSTAR) \u2013 Every year, there\u2019s a new trend that takes over the cultural zeitgeist. The \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsnationnow.com\/world\/international-headlines\/ap-cambridge-dictionary-adds-skibidi-and-tradwife-among-6000-new-words\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">trad wife<\/a>\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsnationnow.com\/world\/international-headlines\/ap-cambridge-dictionary-adds-skibidi-and-tradwife-among-6000-new-words\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">trend<\/a>, your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsnationnow.com\/us-news\/education\/are-your-kids-always-saying-6-7-heres-what-it-means\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">kids saying 6-7<\/a>, making <a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc4.com\/news\/community-over-crisis\/everyone-has-a-story-how-will-world-remember-pandemic\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sourdough<\/a> and the sensation of \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsnationnow.com\/us-news\/strange\/ap-the-story-behind-barbenheimer-the-summers-most-online-movie-showdown\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Barbenheimer<\/a>,\u201d are among the most recent.<\/p>\n<p>As fads do, they eventually fade. Some, like <a href=\"https:\/\/wgnradio.com\/news\/yes-jorts-are-back\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">jorts<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.krqe.com\/news\/this-old-school-landline-phone-for-kids-is-selling-out-online\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">landline phones<\/a>, have returned.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr1_ab\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>There\u2019s another trend that we cannot seem to get away from: the color pink.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A few summers ago, amidst Taylor Swift\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/ap\/ap-entertainment\/ap-taylor-swifts-eras-tour-is-the-first-tour-to-gross-over-1-billion-pollstar-says\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/ap\/ap-entertainment\/ap-taylor-swifts-eras-tour-is-the-first-tour-to-gross-over-1-billion-pollstar-says\/\">Eras Tour<\/a> and the release of the \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/blogs\/in-the-know\/4126220-barbie-movie-brings-in-over-500m-at-box-office-in-first-week\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/blogs\/in-the-know\/4126220-barbie-movie-brings-in-over-500m-at-box-office-in-first-week\/\">Barbie<\/a>\u201d movie, seeing pink everywhere made sense. The color was prominent in both highly attended entertainment events.<\/p>\n<p>But pink wasn\u2019t forecasted to be the color of 2026; Pantone bestowed that title upon \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/wgntv.com\/news\/trending\/cloud-dancer-pantone-names-color-of-the-year-for-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cloud dancer<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nonetheless, pink has shown through.<\/p>\n<p>There were bright pink cleats <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7355780\/2026\/06\/13\/pink-cleats-boots-world-cup-nike-adidas-puma\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">galore<\/a> at the World Cup, and WNBA star Angel Reese is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eonline.com\/news\/1434232\/angel-reese-new-reebok-expressive-pink-basketball-shoe-release\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">releasing<\/a> a new pink basketball shoe. <a href=\"https:\/\/about.starbucks.com\/stories\/2026\/pink-vibes-new-starbucks-merch-collection-inspired-by-beloved-pink-drink\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Starbucks<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/news.dunkindonuts.com\/news\/dunkin-new-menu-july-2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dunkin<\/a> have released pink drinks. Farmers Insurance recently launched <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=S2hyiWsz9_w\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a soft-pink rebrand<\/a>. A$AP Rocky made waves with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wmagazine.com\/fashion\/asap-rocky-pink-chanel-bag-celebrity-style\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a pink Chanel diaper bag<\/a> in spring.<\/p>\n<p>Experts aren\u2019t entirely surprised, either. As Lizzo <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=8uIxoCs7iv8&amp;list=RD8uIxoCs7iv8&amp;start_radio=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sings<\/a>, it \u201cgoes with everything.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr2_ab\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>\u201cIt really is a great color from the science point,\u201d said Rachel Plybon Beach, a teaching assistant professor and program coordinator for interior architecture at the School of Art and Design at West Virginia University\u2019s College of Creative Arts and Media. \u201cThe hues are really broad, so you can go from warm to cool, and they can play with it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>You could use pink as a dominant color, more subtly in the background, or as a pop through an accessory. It works well with lighting in your home and, in fashion, it can complement your complexion and prove to be very flattering.<\/p>\n<p>Pink\u2019s versatility makes it attractive not only in fashion, textiles, apparel and architecture, but to psychologists and marketers.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr3_ab\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>\u201cDon\u2019t think for a second they didn\u2019t know [pink] would be popular after \u2018Barbie,\u2019\u201d Plybon Beach told Nexstar. \u201cThey knew, and they knew the exact kind of pink to appeal to people.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Our brains may view pink as calming or denoting transition, studies have suggested. This could be from the importance of sunrises and sunsets to our ancestors, which helped them move into or out of their higher-activity days. Other theories argue lighter shades of pink could be among our first sensory memories stretching back to the womb.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A very specific shade of pink, dubbed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com\/us\/blog\/your-personal-renaissance\/201809\/what-does-the-color-pink-do-to-you\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Baker-Miller pink<\/a>, was found to calm prisoners, youth in a detention center, and psychiatric patients. Another <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/26189458\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">study<\/a> linked pink with a sense of optimism.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr4_ab\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>In the case of Swift\u2019s \u201cEras Tour,\u201d Plybon Beach argues the color fit the mood. The shows were meant to be fun, happy and inviting, a vibe pink hues can easily create. A similar connection could be seen with pink\u2019s appearance in the World Cup, in which cultures from around the world came together.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It also pairs well with other colors that have been trending recently, including neutrals like warm beige, light blues and greens, and whites and grays.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Society\u2019s influence on trending colors<\/h3>\n<p>Pink hasn\u2019t always been so dominant. Roughly three decades ago, pink was very \u201cin\u201d in the land of fashion, Colleen Moretz, an associate professor of fashion design and merchandising and head of the Fashion Design Studios, also at the School of Art and Design, recalled.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr5_ab\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>\u201cAnd then it faded, and then pink was like, too cute,\u201d Moretz explained to Nexstar. Its comeback is present, though, especially among the younger generation.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes colors shine because of a cultural moment. After the Sept. 11 attacks, red, white and blue were everywhere, Moretz said. They\u2019re back again now, thanks to America\u2019s semiquincentennial.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>During the COVID-19 pandemic, when many found themselves at home more, there was a shift toward more comfortable clothing. Because athleisure wear primarily comes in neutral colors, those shades of whites and grays became more prevalent, Moretz explained.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr6_ab\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>Pink had its own similar moment during the Great Depression, standing as one of the few colors of lipsticks and blush that Americans could afford at the time. The color could bring cheer to the wearer in an otherwise troubling time.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRight now, I think we need a little bit of happiness,\u201d Plybon Beach said in regard to pink\u2019s current popularity.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where you come in<\/h3>\n<p>Psychology, history and science aside, there\u2019s another factor that fuels a color\u2019s prominence: consumers.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr7_ab\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>\u201cIf the consumer likes it and they start buying it \u2026 we start shifting gears,\u201d Plybon Beach explained. \u201c\u2018Oh, that\u2019s what they want right now? That\u2019s what we\u2019ll do.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>If you want to get in on a color trend, but aren\u2019t ready to fully commit, Plybon Beach and Moretz recommend looking at accents. Think artwork, lampshades, throw pillows, or an area rug in your home, and jewelry, makeup, scarves, shoes, or a purse in your outfit.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou don\u2019t have to go all out, but you can add \u2026 different elements of that color without going, you know, all out,\u201d Moretz said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr8_ab\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>And if you want to get ahead of the color trends, you may only need to consider a scene from \u201cThe Devil Wears Prada,\u201d specifically Meryl Streep\u2019s remarks on Anne Hathaway\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=10LSyQk7BxE\">cerulean sweater<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Couture lines and fashion houses \u2014 as Streep, playing Miranda Priestly, suggested \u2014 are often the first to spark the use of certain colors and fabrics in clothing. Interiors then tend to follow suit, Plybon Beach said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The next colors that could break through? Yellow and oranges, according to Moretz and Plybon Beach. A rise in interest in a Western theme, potentially fueled by \u201cYellowstone,\u201d may drive other colors to the forefront as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr9_ab\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>But it will ultimately come down to consumers as to whether it balloons in popularity.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>That can be further divided by the age of consumers. Those on the younger side may be \u201cmore willing to go over the edge a little bit,\u201d while those who are older are \u201clooking at it as more of an investment.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI always talk about costs per wear,\u201d Moretz explained. If you feel you won\u2019t wear a yellow top very much, for example, it may feel more expensive than, say, a pink top you\u2019re going to wear more frequently. The same concept is true in interiors, where it\u2019s known as life cycle cost.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr10_ab\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>Trending colors, like shag carpets and straight-leg jeans, are cyclical. If the shades of pinks, yellows and oranges that are growing now don\u2019t fit your preferences, you may only need to wait until a new hue rises to the top.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>(NEXSTAR) \u2013 Every year, there\u2019s a new trend that takes over the cultural zeitgeist. The \u201ctrad wife\u201d trend, your kids saying 6-7, making sourdough and the sensation of \u201cBarbenheimer,\u201d are among the most recent. As fads do, they eventually fade. Some, like jorts and landline phones, have returned.\u00a0 There\u2019s another trend that we cannot seem&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":33378,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/AP26210828941299-e1786210480728.jpg?w=1280","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33377","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-political-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33377","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=33377"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33377\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/33378"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=33377"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=33377"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=33377"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}