It seems that every year a new colour takes over. We’ve had Barbie pink, Brat Green, butter yellow, and now a bright turquoise/teal is the next to have its moment.
Quiet luxury to playful colours
In what felt like a step away from quiet luxury neutrals, Butter yellow kept the warmth and sophistication, while making clothing a bit more playful. Everyone from teenagers to their grandmothers could wear it well, and it even started popping up as a popular font colour. Turquoise demands a bit more effort to style it well. Right now, it’s mainly being worn by younger consumers who are happy to wear something a little louder. However, a chunky piece of silver jewellery with a turquoise stone or some glass turquoise beads could be a less intimidating way to participate in the trend without taking too big a leap.
Vogue Australia attributes this appeal of pops of colour to, ‘livening up an unsuspecting outfit with a chic shock of colour’. When I think of styling in this way, I picture a full black outfit with either a teal top or incorporating some teal lace detail somewhere.
Trend forecasters agree
Back in 2024 WGSN forecasted that a shade of teal would be the colour of the year in 2026, linking the colour to a mood of change and redirection. They also reported that searches for teal on google were increasing by 9% each year, making a trend this year likely. But I think other factors such as Zara Larsson’s summery styling have also likely had an influence. I’m personally hedging my bets that the next colour trend to emerge will be purple, but we’ll just have to wait and see!
What happens when a colour gets too big?
The difficulty – and appeal – with these more unique colours, is that they stand out. So when a trend officially reaches the end of the cycle, they stand out even more, leading to clothes that either get thrown out or sit at the back of a drawer.
To prevent this, a good way to participate can be by starting off small with a piece of jewellery or scarf or bag. This can help you decide if you really love the trend before deciding to invest fully. A good fabric can also make a colourful trend more timeless as knits and cotton can make clothing appear more lived in, while glossy or poorly made options can look as if they were bought with their eventual disposal in mind. Another way of consuming the teal trend could be to look for a deeper more wearable shade, more similar to that WGSN are referencing.
Overall, the trend cycle continues and teal will inevitably move to the fringes of fashion. This doesn’t have to be a bad thing though – as in a few months or years, teal will have lost its pressure of being new and exciting and can become a colour that you reach for because you genuinely enjoy the way it brightens up your outfit.