In sharp contrast with last year’s “Mocha Mousse,” the Pantone Color Institute revealed that, for the first time, the color of 2026 is a white hue. “The cacophony that surrounds us has become overwhelming, making it harder to hear the voices of our inner selves,” Pantone Color Institute Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman explained in the press announcement. “A conscious statement of simplification, Cloud Dancer enhances our focus, providing release from the distraction of external influences.” “Let me be clear,” writes rhea.nayyar. “Announcing white as the color for 2026 can easily be interpreted as yet another piercing dog whistle closing out a year that, in conjunction with other ongoing horrors, brought us: Trump’s executive order targeting the Smithsonian’s ‘divisive, race-centered ideology’ and Truth Social rant about museums focusing on ‘how bad slavery was’; The rage-bait final boss that was Sydney Sweeney’s ‘Good Jeans’ marketing campaign with American Eagle, followed by her ...