Rage Against the Beige

I was today years old when I discovered there is an OFFICIAL COLOR OF THE YEAR. It was honestly adorable to say the least.

As a big fan of colors in general, I went to check out the Pantone “COLOR OF THE YEAR 2026.” But to my great disappointment, it turned out to be Sky Dance — a lofty white neutral as described by Instagram… and an overrated off-white as described by me. I scoffed. Like, of all the years to finally discover this, why did I have to land on the year of off-white? I’m already pretty off-put by minimalism in general.

Then I scrolled back through the past “Colors of the Year,” and… yeah, a pattern started forming. This year was basically white. Last year wasn’t any different — Mocha Mousse, a soft brown symbolizing comfort. The year before that was Peach Fuzz, all about softness and slowing down.

But the further back I went, the louder the palette became. The early 2000s were literally screaming in color — Cerulean, Fuchsia Rose, True Red — bright, optimistic, unapologetically vibrant. The 2010s were this wild mix of creativity and confidence — Tangerine Tango, Radiant Orchid, Ultra Violet — sitting right next to grounding tones like Marsala and Emerald. And the early 2020s? Emotional, symbolic, almost poetic: Classic Blue for stability, Illuminating Yellow + Ultimate Gray for hope in uncertainty, Very Peri for creativity, Viva Magenta for empowerment.

What’s more interesting is what these colors symbolized. Red stood for boldness and intensity. Periwinkle hinted at fresh beginnings and self-expression. Living Coral celebrated life. And Gray + Yellow practically begged the world to rebuild — like, “Hey, even in the dullness, there’s still hope.”

But somewhere in the last three years… the world shifted. The colors got quieter, softer, safer. Like we collectively wrapped ourselves in a beige blanket and whispered, “Let’s not be too loud anymore.”

This change also has something to do with tradition. Recently it’s all about minimalism, comfort, softness. But before that, everything was about change — being bold in self-expression, evolving, channeling inner strength, rebuilding society. Off-late, though, it feels like the world stopped trying. Stopped building. Stopped believing in boldness and creativity. Instead, society seems to scream at anyone glowing in neon, telling them they’re “too much.” Comfort suddenly became more appealing than creation, and slowly everyone crawled back into their comfort zones, leaving no time to create, explore, or build.

As you might’ve guessed, I’m someone who loves expression through colors. I also recently learned there’s an unspoken “no-color rule” in Korea. If you’re a local and you dress in bold colors like red, or anything outside their super-minimalist palette of white, nude, and black, you’ll feel judged — the entire city side-eyes you. Like… isn’t dressing a form of self-expression? Why can’t I wear red when I’m feeling extra? Why can’t I wear a blue dress on a beach holiday? Why can’t I wear hot pink while shopping for makeup at Sephora? Why should I be judged for that? Is it cultural shame or what? All because the world suddenly wants minimalism?

But it’s not just about colors. It’s about people — people with personalities, people who want to express themselves. It’s not always through words, you know?

Sometimes it’s in the outfits we wear or the expressions on our faces, telling unspoken truths about who we are.

Now it feels like people don’t even feel the need to express their uniqueness in this sea of beige and white. It’s even harder to connect. Isn’t personality what sparks a real connection beyond shallow interactions? What can we say about anyone if everyone slips into their comfort zones and sticks to the same template of living?

And now here we are: this year’s Pantone Color of the Year is white — a blank canvas. So the question is…

will next year finally bring a bold painting? Or are we just going to fade even deeper into minimalism?