Oops—I’ve Been Completely Missing Out on This Major Color Trend

Of the trends that I encounter on a daily basis, I’d have to say that the ones having to do with color are some of my favorites. To me, it’s just the easiest way to freshen your look for a new season, so I tend to embrace whatever color is currently trending. That said, I recently realized that I’ve been ignoring the color trend that’s dominating right now when I read this piece from retail analytics company Edited. They used their data-gathering resources to explain the reason behind the recent rise of bright colors like orange, green, and yellow, and a lot of it has to do with Instagram.

Edited stated, “Color is millennial peacocking—it’s the fastest way to stand out on an endlessly-updating feed. And when there’s no predominant apparel trend—no must-have pant shape or dress length—color is a unifying force in fashion.” They also point out that brands are designing more and more pieces that will grab one’s attention on an Instagram feed. And yet another interesting point they made is that these saturated colors are most common in swimwear, dresses, and accessories.

So why have I been subconsciously skipping this trend and filling my closet with neutrals and pastels? The only explanation I can come up with is that it reminds me of attending elementary in the late ’80s and early ’90s, which probably wasn’t the chicest time in my life (shocking, right?). But I will say that Edited’s data may have convinced me that it’s finally time to let go of my Kindergarten hangups.

Read on to see how cool the saturated color trend looks on Instagram and shop similarly-colored pieces along the way.

Want to make your look even more eye-catching? Just add polka dots.