Transformative Teal: Where Did It Come From?

Teal, mint, seafoam—all of these variants hit the market at the beginning of the year and found themselves taking over the trend cycle by early spring. But where did it come from? And why has the color of middle school girls’ bedrooms in 2015 made such a worldwide comeback?

Trend forecaster WGSN and color system Coloro ended 2024 with a collaborative insight into the rise of teal— predicted to infiltrate the market over a year later. WGSN defines it by an increase in climate awareness: teal represents a general, community-based Earthly kindness.

In late 2025, teal began appearing in interior designers’ predictions for the trending color of the upcoming year. This came from a mixture of social media trends involving this blue-green shade and its evolution beyond the summer months. A color often associated with beaches is now beginning to appear next to neutrals, pulling it into fall and winter. 

This transition easily carried teal into 2026. Slowly blossoming into high fashion runways with names like Chanel and Zimmermann, the color could be spotted among headscarves and high heels. 

However, this isn’t the first time teal has made an appearance as a major trend. The Charlotte Hornets debuted their teal uniforms in 1988, designed by Alexander Julian (who was famously compensated in five pounds of barbecue). When the team hit the basketball court, the trend hit the market, and the early 90s were quickly saturated with the hue. 

After its immense success in fashion and beauty, the shade of the 90s premiered in the world of tech as the Windows default screensaver. By dominating all these industries, the color defined the decade. 

Its return 30 years later continues society’s habit of reinventing trends. A color often saturated to its fullest and paired with other blinding colors in the 90s is now cool, collected, and often paired with neutrals and softer tones. Millennial gray may have been left in the past, but the neons and vividness of the 80s and 90s remain unmatched. 

As the year slowly comes to a close, WGSN and Coloro’s color prediction for 2027 comes into conversation. In a forecast published in early 2025, the collaboration has revealed a multitude of colors planned to flood the market in the coming year. 

Of Luminous Blue, Energy Orange, Pop Pink, Meadowland Green, and Clay, various industries may be seeing one (or all!) of these shades very soon. The journey away from dark tones and towards brightness continues!