What this season’s colours are telling us about ourselves
Colour has always been fashion’s first language. Before we read the cut or consider the silhouette, our eyes absorb hue, silent communicator of mood, mindset, and moment. And this summer, the message is crystal clear: we’re collectively craving ease, clarity, and a quiet kind of richness. Where past seasons gave us dopamine brights or normcore neutrals, Summer 2025 charts a more nuanced emotional landscape. The tones we’re seeing are grounded yet elevated, nostalgic yet forward-facing, a wearable colour therapy session dressed up as a wardrobe refresh. So, what exactly is this summer’s palette whispering to us?
Mango Midi-dress with draped neckline
Ice Blue: The Season’s Emotional Reset
Dominating the runways from Loewe to Cecilie Bahnsen, ice blue has emerged as the shade of the season, not baby blue, not cerulean, but a cool, controlled tint that toes the line between softness and structure. Jonathan Anderson rendered it in sculptural tailoring. Simone Rocha softened it in lace-edged tulle. Even Victoria Beckham sent out a glossy ice blue slip dress that looked like it could melt off the body. But this hue goes deeper than aesthetic. Psychologically, blue is tied to the throat chakra, the space of communication, truth, and self-expression. In a post-pandemic world still recalibrating its voice, perhaps it’s no coincidence that we’re drawn to a colour that soothes the nervous system and encourages clarity. Ice blue offers a fashion cleanse. It’s not performative; it’s purposeful. Pair it with clean, white or soft grey for that Saint Tropez-meets-Stockholm elegance. Add silver accents or a clear quartz pendant to double down on the energy of clarity. This is the colour equivalent of an exhale.
Victoria Beckham
Sunbeam Yellow: Joy, Bottled
This isn’t the highlighter neon yellow of pre-pandemic summers. 2025’s takes on yellow is sunbeam-soft, think buttercup petals, lemon sorbet, or a faded saffron sari left in the light. Brands like Jacquemus, Zimmermann, and Ferragamo have embraced it in breezy silhouettes that feel more like sun-kissed skin than high-voltage statement.
Sunbeam yellow is optimism, but in lowercase. A quiet hopefulness. It nods to joy without demanding attention. This is the dress you wear barefoot at a rooftop dinner or to wander a Provençal market with a straw tote and oversized sunglasses. It lifts, without shouting.
Maus Maus Tunic Dress, Kaha Yellow
More Than Pretty: Colour As Self-Connection
What’s most striking about this summer’s palette isn’t just the visual harmony, it’s the emotional resonance. In a moment where maximalism feels exhausting and minimalism feels too clinical, we’re choosing tones that feel… human.
Soft, smart, sensual.
These aren’t seasonal colours, they’re emotional cues. Ice blue invites reflection. Burnt butter grounds us. Pistachio inspires growth. Sunbeam yellow restores our joy. Paprika reawakens our boldness. As the sun returns and we re-enter our social lives, let your summer wardrobe be a mood board for how you want to feel, not just how you want to look. Because in 2025, style isn’t about dressing up. It’s about dressing true.
Refromation Daniela Silk Dress
Burnt Butter: Richness Without Shouting
If ice blue is the reset, burnt butter is the embrace. Less flashy than gold, more grounded than camel, this caramelised neutral is everywhere, from Bottega’s crossbody bags to Totême’s understated knits. It’s the ultimate in stealth wealth dressing: subtle, sumptuous, and deeply satisfying.
This isn’t beige’s boring cousin. Burnt butter has undertones of honey and toasted grain, like something left out to warm under the sun. It flatters all skin tones, catches the light beautifully at golden hour, and has that rare ability to look both comfortable and expensive.
It’s no accident that it’s trending. In uncertain times, we crave comfort, but not in pyjamas anymore. We want polish with warmth. A kind of wearable reassurance.
Layer it with off-whites, rusts, or deep plums to build dimension. Add texture, linen, bouclé, silk, to let it glow. It’s a grounding force for summer’s more ethereal shades.
Mango Midi-dress with creased effect
Pistachio & Paprika: The Wildcards of the Palette
Just when the colour story begins to feel too grounded, in comes pistachio, soft, almost minty, with a green juice glow. It feels like a new beginning. Clean. Curious. Conscious. Designers are pairing it with dove grey or wearing it head-to-toe with tonal accessories for a monochrome look that still feels fun.
And then there’s paprika, red’s spicy, earthy cousin. Not quite rust, not quite scarlet. It’s the pulse-raiser. The mood shift. Perfect in a linen halter dress, a suede mule, or a silk scarf knotted at the wrist. It’s what you wear when you want to feel like yourself but turned up 20%.
Kella Short Goddess Dress
