This NYFW Color Trend Will Bring Some Sunshine To Your Closet

When the color yellow has a central role to play in a masterfully executed outfit, the result is often memorable: Andie Anderson draped in silky-gold goodness at the end of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Amanda Gorman shining gloriously in the shade with the whole world watching, Meghan Markle assuming global style star status in a bold canary number by Brandon Maxwell. Yellow is not a color for blending in. It can be tangy as a lemon, bright like the sun, and whimsical like an emoji. As the unofficial color of happiness and friendship, yellow is also optimistic, which is why we've been seeing it all over New York Fashion Week these past few days.

It's no coincidence that this spirited and cheerful tone is taking flight across Fall/Winter 2021 runways and presentations alike considering the clothes on display offer a window into the seasons ahead. With vaccine rollouts now underway hinting cautiously at a return to some sort of normal this autumn, many designers seemed to be creatively aligned in wanting to inject their latest designs with a hopeful jolt of positivity — and what better way to do this than with the very hue that's synonymous with a smiley face? At Staud, a fuzzy yellow fleece paired with matching track pants was undoubtedly the hit of the collection. At Jason Wu, yellow heeled boots in a croc-like leather added a pop of pizzaz to otherwise neutral ensembles. Not even Ella Elmhoff's highly anticipated modeling debut at Proenza Schouler could distract from a high-neck yellow gown by the designer that, in and of itself, is a promise that we will have reasons to dress up again.

According to the experts a Pantone Color Institute, we should expect to see more of these kinds of uplifting shades throughout the latter part this year and into the start of the next: "Offering a range of pragmatic hues infused with vivifying bright pops, colors for Fall/Winter 2021/2022 offer a plethora of possibilities that support our lifestyle of continual reinvention and convey a promise of reemergence,” says executive director Leatrice Eiseman. But for those of us who are ready to let in the sunshine, we've rounded up a number of styles inspired by NYFW's most covetable yellow designs that you can add to your closet right now. From Tanya Taylor to Simon Miller and beyond, these are the top looks for wearing your smile on your sleeve sooner rather than later.