What's In Your 2011 Crayola Color Box

I love color. Particularly greens. Hunter greens. Okay, and russets, too. Like Burnt Sienna. Pumpkins and Russets and dark Forest-ie Greens.

But I do like all the rest, the periwinkles and the peaches, the pinks and blues and sunny yellows. So I've never understood why some colors are considered 'in' and others 'out'.

Not everyone is going to look good dressed in fire engine red, perhaps with the one note-worthy exception of Blanche Devereaux on her wedding day. And not everyone can deal with a pea-green suit or pink from head to toe.

But, hey, what do I know. Apparently these are the colors that we should be using, wearing, featuring this next year.Or so says the Color Police over at Pantone. And these people know these things. If you don't believe me, just ask them. They "know" these things.

So ... here are the colors. This is the news from Pantone today. Stock up on these colors ~ crayons and swatches and trims and jewels ~ for 2011.

"According to Pantone Color Institute executive director Leatrice Eiseman, they should keep symmetry in mind when approaching their new hues.“The season is a new look at definitions of harmony, proportion and balance. There’s and irreverence about color.

"The way colors are combined, the hues, the shades and tones, is inspiring. A focus on color may also play into some design trends currently in the work.

A huge percentage of women are saying that, even though they like to look at crazy designs and very high heels, at the end of the day they want comfort, stability, quality, and value.

"You can show them haute couture, and it may bring them into a store, but they’ll buy what’s comfortable. One way they can get crazy, though, is with design and color.”

I still like Hunter Green, Burnt Sienna, and those beautiful rich Russets.  But then, like I said: What do I know?

You can find the experts of Pantone Institute here.