Colour it orange in 2012 Wednesday, 01 February 2012 01:30

By Janet Bennett Kelly

It’s time to rethink your opinion of orange as just for pumpkins and construction cones. So say the colour authorities at Pantone. By interviewing designers and retailers around the globe, the colour-consulting company has chosen a reddish-orange shade called tangerine tango as 2012’s colour of the year. (In 2011, it was honeysuckle pink.) Start spreading the hue with these fresh updates. Sunglasses optional.

– Not every guy is going to go for this mango-coloured puff jacket from specialty sportswear pioneer Patagonia. But whether snowshoeing in Rock Creek or schussing down a black diamond in Utah, you never know when standing out like a beacon might come in handy. Available in nine other colours, it’s warm, lightweight and packs happily into a suitcase.

Nano Puff Jacket, $189 at www.patagonia.com.

Ribbed detailing around the neckline, cuffs and hem adds design interest to Magaschoni’s oh-so-cozy tangerine turtleneck, a mix of 95 percent wool and 5 percent cashmere. It’s a lush look for the depths of winter. Also available in ivory, yellow and black. Funnel neck tunic, $374 at www.magaschoni.com.

– On the theory that a little bold colour goes a long way, snap on Fornash’s chain leather bracelet for an edgy accent to a demure dress. Or pile on several to form a fashionable stack on your wrist. In addition to orange, it’s available in black, gold, green and tan.

Milan bracelet, $28 at www.simplysoles.com.

– Skip the trendy slate and maroon nail polish for a shot of hot colour on fingers and toes. Consider Essie nail polish in clambake the best antidote to gloomy data on the state of the economy.

$8 at www.beauty.com.

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