As an online retailer, staying ahead of color trends is crucial for curating collections that resonate with consumers. In 2024 and beyond, neutrals will play a pivotal role as shoppers seek out versatile, durable pieces with longevity. Embrace these 10 key neutral color directions to infuse your assortment with transseasonal appeal and tap into the pursuit of balance and timeless style.
Table of Contents
1. Embracing the #whiteout aesthetic
2. Barely there tints for a calming effect
3. Enhancing neutrals through layering
4. Earthy pigments for a nature-driven look
5. Functional beige’s utilitarian appeal
6. Nutshell as a nostalgic s/s 24 shade
7. Natural and undyed for sustainability
8. Sustained grey promotes slowing down
9. #greyongrey’s tailored comeback
10. #blackandwhite’s contemporary impact
1. Embracing the #whiteout aesthetic
In response to global disruptions, designers are gravitating towards a clean, simple aesthetic with white tones reflecting a considered approach. Embrace shades like Chalk and Optic White to offer balance and align with the craving for colors with longer lifespans. Whether opting for cooler or warmer whites, styling head-to-toe #Whiteout looks taps into the popular #Minimalist trend.
Use white to elevate everyday pieces and rework classic silhouettes. The popularity of #AllWhiteOutfit (56.7M views) and #WhiteTrousers (17.6M views) on TikTok shows strong consumer interest in departing from colorful designs. On Pinterest, searches for “white suit men” are up 30% in the US and 20% in the UK compared to last year, while “white pants outfit men” increased 70% in the US, confirming the appeal of crisp white styles.
2. Barely there tints for a calming effect
Dreamlike barely-there pastels and tinted neutrals, influenced by the digital world, are an emerging color direction for 2024. These ethereal hues work well for #GenderInclusive styles and are becoming increasingly wearable.
We previously forecast milky white as both a color effect and material focused on semitransparency. This evolves into intelligent transparency for 2025, which can create dynamic color shifts revealed through opacities. For S/S 24 and A/W 24/25, blend and layer soothing, barely-there tints to create calming color stories showcasing ultra-light neutrals.
3. Enhancing neutrals through layering
As consumers prioritize versatility and year-round appeal, enhanced neutrals are key. After months of defiant post-lockdown styling, designers are opting for familiar, easygoing tints that convey comfort or sophistication.
Build on A/W 23/24 menswear colors by bringing softness via head-to-toe neutral tones. A simple, natural palette of Oat Milk, Chalk and Italian Clay aligns with #ElementalElegance. Leverage more sustainable natural pigments and traditional processes to create these enhanced neutral shades.
Social data shows “soft neutral” searches grew in 8 of the past 12 months, peaking in March. Brands like Fendi, Arket and Camilla and Marc favor these hues. On TikTok, #NeutralAesthetic has over 733.3M views and #NeutralOutfit has 510.1M, confirming mass appeal.
4. Earthy pigments for a nature-driven look
Earthy neutral shades continue resonating thanks to their long-term versatility across casual to investment pieces. As consumers scrutinize purchases more, colors that transition through seasons and categories are essential.
A/W 24/25 key color Intense Rust is an emerging neutral communicating authenticity, quiet luxury and classic design. This rich, warm brown pairs well with Italian Clay and Oat Milk for an enlivened earthy direction. Muted clay-inspired Italian Clay and Terracotta flex across organic to refined aesthetics.
5. Functional beige’s utilitarian appeal
In 2024, dependable utilitarian neutrals with natural qualities gain importance as consumers focus more on the climate, seasons and practicality. Colors increasingly need to align with versatility and longevity to drive considered purchases.
Embrace Oat Milk and Parchment as leading functional beige shades for tonal looks that tap into utility and outdoors trends. WGSN data shows beige searches up 22% and “cargo pants” up 130% year-on-year, confirming this direction.
6. Nutshell as a nostalgic s/s 24 shade
Nutshell, an S/S 24 key color, aligns with the return of nostalgic and retro-inspired styles driven by rising interest in thrifting and resale. This warm, tactile brown expresses authenticity and is important for both classic investment pieces and directional designs.
Use Nutshell to convey sustainability over newness, powering resale culture and product longevity. Pair it with other rich browns to elevate timeless styles, and flex it from sophisticated partywear to retro designs to maximize its appeal.
7. Natural and undyed for sustainability
Investing in timeless undyed and natural products aligns with sustainability and circularity values. As highlighted in Advanced Colour 2025, responsible manufacturing will drive a palette of undyed neutrals as water scarcity pushes industries to rethink processes.
Undyed products save thousands of gallons of wastewater and energy. Explore undyed materials and leverage color in its natural form as a zero-waste solution. Celebrate the neutral color levels achieved through undyed yarns, fibers and materials to promote natural white and neutral stories.
8. Sustained grey promotes slowing down
Sustained Grey, an A/W 24/25 key color, confirms neutrals’ importance and the shift towards more sustainable, practical color choices. This grounding, desaturated grey develops into a long-term transseasonal shade for S/S 25 and beyond.
As a #GenderInclusive neutral, Sustained Grey allows for balance and slowing down. Its practicality enables it to flex across smart, demure, utilitarian and outdoors categories. Use it to convey timelessness and reliability.
9. #greyongrey’s tailored comeback
Grey makes a quiet comeback as tailoring and formalwear slowly recover. Timeless grey shades resonate thanks to their minimalist transseasonal appeal. For A/W 23/24, designers used #GreyOnGrey to channel #LowKeyLuxury and neoclassical vibes and as a commercial alternative to black.
Style grey monochromatically for versatile simplicity. As noted in Advanced Colour forecasts for 2024-2027, grey continues as a key shade for circular, eco-conscious design. WGSN social data shows grey up 17% across innovators and 10% for youth year-on-year. #GreyOutfit has over 18.2M TikTok views, confirming its mass market potential.
10. #blackandwhite’s contemporary impact
Create impact by mixing black and white nuances, from near-blacks and tinted darks to Chalk and Optic White. Update core ranges with familiar yet contemporary black and crisp white styling.
Use black and white for timeless, #GenderInclusive #GraphicMonochrome prints that work across seasons. These colors still dominate the A/W 23/24 womenswear catwalk mix. #BlackAndWhiteOutfit has over 44.4M TikTok views, proving its styling appeal.
Conclusion
By strategically integrating these 10 neutral color trends into your 2024 and beyond collections, you can offer consumers the versatile, long-lasting pieces they crave. Building a lifecycle-driven color strategy is key – think beyond seasons to create hues that stand the test of time. Embrace innovative, low-impact color solutions and circular sources to boost sustainability. And don’t underestimate the power of core black, white, grey and beige to deliver transseasonal flexibility across product categories. With barely-there tints and earthy neutrals, you can enhance your palette while still delivering wearable, commercial appeal. Designing for longevity positions you to tap into the growing resale market and build a loyal customer base that trusts your brand for enduring style. Weave these nuanced neutral color stories into your offering.
