Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
Pancakes
Pancakes
Christin Urso / Spoon
TX State | Culture

High Calorie or High Fashion? Butter Yellow is the Color of the Year! 

Piscis Martinez Student Contributor, Texas State University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at TX State chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Move over millennial pink, and goodbye to Bottega green – 2025 belongs to butter yellow. This warm, creamy hue has been creeping into closets, beauty routines, and even kitchen appliances, proving that subtle luxury is the new statement. Whether you’re sipping coffee from a KitchenAid stand mixer in their official 2025 shade, slathering on Rhode’s Barrier Butter moisturizer, or layering up in buttery-soft knitwear, this shade is quietly taking over.

And if you think you’ve been seeing more of this color lately, you’re not imagining it – Glamour recently called butter yellow the “it-girl” color of the season, and it’s following the exact pattern we’ve seen with other trendy shades.

Butter Yellow’s Fashion Pipeline: Runway to Retail

Like most color trends, butter yellow started on the runway, where it quietly made its debut in designer collections. From soft suiting at Fendi to pastel knits at Jacquemus, high fashion labels embraced the hue as a fresh alternative to beige. Then, as Glamour points out, it trickled into more accessible contemporary brands like Staud and Dôen, where it became a favorite among fashion influencers and that girl aesthetics.

But here’s the thing about color trends – they don’t really reach the masses until fast fashion catches up. By the time butter yellow is everywhere (read: on every H&M, Zara, and ASOS website), the trend has already been percolating for months, sometimes even years. We saw this with Bottega Green, which started as a designer statement and then became a full-on cultural moment when fast fashion stores finally stocked it in bulk.

And guess what? Butter Yellow is hitting that exact point. My extensive research (aka, totally not me spiraling into an online shopping rabbit hole) proves it:

  • Hollister: 62 butter yellow items
  • Gap: 128 (someone at corporate is fully committed)
  • SKIMS: 20 (Kim K knew what she was doing)
  • Edikted: 92 (because we will be dressing like a pat of butter this year)

At this rate, my closet is about to look like the inside of a croissant – flaky, layered, and aggressively buttery.

From Countertops to Closets: The Rise of a Hue

It’s no coincidence that KitchenAid, a brand known for its trend-setting appliance colors, chose “Butter Yellow” as its official shade of the year. Interior design has been shifting toward warmer, softer palettes, and this hue is the perfect balance between nostalgia and modernity. Butter Yellow has that 1970s retro revival appeal but feels fresh enough for today’s aesthetic-obsessed consumer.

And it’s not just fashion and home décor. Beauty brands are also leaning into this buttery, rich, indulgent vibe. Case in point: Rhode’s Barrier Butter moisturizer. Hailey Bieber’s entire brand is built around dewy, hydrated, glazed skin (yes, even her marketing makes you think of food), and this product’s branding fits right into the butter-colored takeover.

At this point, fashion, beauty, and home décor are all conspiring to make us associate butter with luxury. And honestly? It’s working. My Google search history is now 70% “butter yellow sweater,” 20% “Rhode Barrier Butter restock,” and 10% “is it normal to want my kitchen, closet, and skincare routine to match?”

So, is it high-calorie or high-fashion? Turns out, it’s both – and I’ll be indulging in every shade of it.

Piscis Martinez

TX State '27

Piscis Martinez is the Editor-in-Chief of Her Campus at Texas State University, where she leads the chapter’s editorial vision, oversees writers and editors, and manages weekly publishing in alignment with national Her Campus Media standards. She is especially passionate about personal essays, advice columns, and lifestyle content that center authenticity, vulnerability, and campus culture. In her role, Piscis focuses on building clear systems, strengthening editing workflows, and fostering a supportive environment where writers feel confident developing their voices.

Beyond Her Campus, Piscis is a Public Relations major at Texas State University with double minors in Human Resources and Communication Studies. She also works as a peer consultant at the University Writing Center, where she supports students one-on-one in improving clarity, structure, and confidence in their writing across disciplines. Since joining Her Campus in Fall 2024, Piscis has grown within the organization as a writer, Section Editor, Senior Editor, and now Editor-in-Chief, gaining hands-on experience in editorial leadership and team development at every level.

Outside of work and class, Piscis enjoys drinking coffee, watching reality TV, and finding comfort in the small routines that keep her grounded during busy semesters. Whether she is editing an article late at night or brainstorming new ideas with her team, she is always excited to help Her Campus writers grow, feel supported, and take pride in their work.