Image credit: Pantone.com

Pantone has just announced its Color of the Year for 2022 and it’s called Very Peri, as in Periwinkle! Well, that’s a hopeful sign. The very name has a wink in it! And a good description of the color might trigger some sweet memories for those of us old enough to remember: “Lavender blue, dilly dilly…”

What It Suggests, Psychologically

Periwinkle is named after the periwinkle flower (derived from the French word poule-d-roche” or Rock Dove, as it resembles the color of the mourning dove’s feathers) and is a garden perennial. That indicates it is something that endures, which is another reason this color might charm us.

It represents gentleness and calmness and has a spiritual quality that suggests everlasting love – of partners, friends, and sentimental memories.

There is a strong association between the periwinkle flower and sacred symbolism. You will often see it represented in Christian art as reflecting the virtue of chastity. In some UK churches it represents the Virgin Mary in paintings and stained glass.

It is a color that brings a sense of calm, peace, renewal, faithfulness and trust.

But, maybe most importantly, it is a color that literally aligns with a higher “vibration.” Because it is a combination of violet and blue, its light frequency is near the very top of the color spectrum. It is more a reflection of psychic energy than material energy.

At this time on earth, many people are seeking, discovering and resonating with that energy, and with a way of “knowing” that is new and different. And periwinkle reflects all of this as well.

Who Can Wear It, and How?

Periwinkle is fundamentally a cool and soft color, so that means it would most suit someone with muted light and cool coloring. A deeper shade or intensity of it could work for those who have soft and warm undertones in their skin.

But my late aunt, who was an artist, used to say that there are certain colors everyone can wear: one is true red and the other is periwinkle. Although some orthodox color analysts may disagree, there are several reasons why this may be true.

First of all, the psychological signature of periwinkle speaks to us on a fundamental level, for all humans. Also, the exact complement of violet (periwinkle is a combination of blue and violet) on the color wheel is yellow. So someone with more olive color skin can create a wonderful outfit by using a splash of periwinkle as a complement to one of their best shades of yellow: wheat, sunflower, mustard, or gold.

And for those with cooler coloring – those who have typical winter and summer skin undertones – pairing it with their darkest neutrals (i.e., black for a winter color type and gray for a summer color type) would create a very elegant look. For spring types, who can often wear multiple colors together, periwinkle is a delightful partner for their greens, blues, and lemony yellows.

Periwinkle can also make a head-to-toe neutral colored outfit really pop. It is simply a very fresh and sophisticated color.

How to Wear or Surround Yourself with Periwinkle

Now, except for something fun like sneakers, periwinkle shoes might be harder for some of us to pull off than, say, a handbag, which can just add a delightful pop of color. So unless the shoes match your skirt or pants, or is a slightly different shade of periwinkle, shoes might not be the best way to play this trend.

A scarf, handbag, glasses frames, or even nail polish in periwinkle could be charming. If it is one of your best palette colors, a winter coat in periwinkle would really make a gorgeous statement.

But another terrific way to bring this color into your life is as a home accessory. A cashmere throw, a throw pillow, or a rug in periwinkle would add a very calm, classy and sophisticated element to any room. And if you’re really all-in, you can bring that same influence to your kitchen!