Color Trends - Ready for a Brighter Economy

Have you noticed a more vibrant color palette in clothing stores this spring? I suspect designers are looking to capture our readiness for a brighter economy. Watermelon, tangerine, berry shades, butter, Caribbean blue... it's hard not to feel there's light at the end of the tunnel in the presence of such vivid hues.
 
In the New York Times recently, Ellen Tien wrote about the "new pinks" in her Pulse column. She mentioned that in troubled times bright shades, especially pinks and roses, are comforting to fashion shoppers.

When the economy is in decline, home decor colors are conservative with earth tones dominating - thus all the black and white combos and shades of brown we've seen of late - and prints and patterns tend to be straight or geometric. But as the economy rebounds, I read that we'll be seeing bright punches of wall color - orange or apple green for example - with window treatment and pillow fabrics of leafy florals and birds, along with opulent looped braids, tassels, and flat braided trim.

It will be interesting to observe if these trends will carry over to the craft industry. I've noticed that paper companies are already featuring card making kits with bright color combinations - sky blue cards for example, with embellishments of lively green, orange, and yellow. Of course if your preferred palette is more subdued, it's important to stay true to what you love. That being said though, it might be fun to play around with braided trims and tassels instead of the buttons and ribbons that are so popular at the moment. Why not be the first on your block to give them a try?!