Spring & Summer 2015 Color Showcase

After the gray deadness of winter, spring and summer are a welcome colorful change. Along with leafy greens and beautiful blooms, every spring and summer bring new color trends for fashion and design.

Unsurprisingly, white is a trendy color for spring/summer 2015. Luckily, tons of bright, punchy colors are also in this season.

There are two main trends to watch for this spring and summer: pastel and retro.

Pastel

Pastels create a soft buy lively color palette, and they’re perfect for everything from scrapbooking and card making to designing posters and brochures for the pickiest of graphic design clients. Here are some of our favorite shades:

Green

Green is a natural shade that’s well-suited to projects that aim to evoke feelings of calm and tranquility. You can go two ways when it comes to green pastels: lime and mint.

If you want a brighter shade of pastel green, go with lime.

If you prefer your pastels a little more understated, try using a mint shade.

Yellow

Yellow is everywhere this season, from the windows of designer boutiques to interior designers’ look books.

A pale, buttery yellow is perfectly on trend, and it’s close enough to neutral to suit any project.

For something a little mellower, try using this shade. It’s still on trend, but it’s a little easier on the eyes.

Aquamarine

You can really go any way with aquamarine, which is why we had so much trouble narrowing down your choices. It’s the ultimate summer hue for 2015.

Go classic with a true teal. It’s blue tones are calming with just a splash of seasonal inspiration.

If a traditional bright aquamarine is too far out of your comfort zone, try using a pale blue instead.

If aquamarine still isn’t bright enough for you, metallic shades can add that extra punch.

Pink

Pink is soft and pleasing to the eye, which makes it great for a variety of both crafting and design projects. It’s a warm tone that can complement any theme, either as a base color or as a bright accent.

A soft blush pink is on the pastel trend, but it’s not as in your face as hot pink.

For some added glamor, try going with a metallic pink.

Retro

The second big trend for spring and summer is inspired by the retro styles of the 1970s. 70s fashions are all over the place, and color palettes are no exception.

Blue

Blue is a classic color, and it’s commonly used to connote feelings of strength and dependence. If the aquamarine shades we shared above scare you, darker blues can evoke similar emotions and are still very in line with the 70s trend.

Denim blue is the ultimate retro-inspired choice.

Add some retro glam with a metallic dark blue.

Marsala

Marsala is Pantone’s 2015 Color of the Year, so no matter where you go or what you use it for, marsala is on point.

Just like it’s namesake, marsala is rich and bold, but it’s subtle enough to be used as a base color.

If true marsala is too neutral, a deeper red is a warmer option that’s still on trend. Add a little glitter for some extra punch.

Orange

Nothing says “retro” like orange. Forget that obnoxious rusty orange that seemed to be a fixture in everyone’s homes – the new retro orange is a lot more palatable.

This season’s retro orange piggybacks on the pastel trend. It’s not the most traditional choice for craft or design projects, so it’s sure to stand out from the crowd.

If pastel orange doesn’t fit your design project but you still want to include shades of orange, you can always pair a pastel with a darker terra cotta.

‘Tis The Season

Spring and summer are the perfect seasons to experiment with bright colors, especially if they’re on trend. This season’s pastel and retro themes are all over the catwalk, but they make great color choices for a variety of projects from scrapbooks to graphic design. So go ahead – get colorful!