Knitch Magazine

Proenza Schouler presents a simple dress that bursts with orange.

So it’s a little bit more than surprising that the color experts at Pantone have declared Tangerine Tango the color for 2012.

The recent, growing acceptance of orange has been a drawn-out affair with fashion designers incorporating it into their lines in limited supply for several years now. From Spanish-designer Cesar Gonzelez and his brilliant orange garments of 2009 to Victoria Beckham’s 2011 dress collection and Stella McCartney's new faux python shoes, orange has been making an appearance and gaining acceptance. Now it's considered boldly au courant rather than spooky and dated.

The Jacksons were getting down with their groovy orange, gold and brown in the 1970s.

Such respected names as Calvin Klein, Versace and Proenza Schuler are incorporating the color into their presentations, as starlets and trendsetters embrace it with glee. Having achieved mass market success on the streets of Europe, orange is now bursting brightly onto the avenues of North America.

The shade that Pantone has declared Color of the Year, is a bold, attention-getting hue. "Reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy," says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®.

Calvin Klein makes orange look simply sensational.

Tangerine Tango is the passion of red combined with happy, outgoing yellow to create a blaze of energy and excitement that arouses the senses and warms the heart. According to Lüscher, the psychologist famous for defining the meaning of color, a person who chooses orange over other colors is seeking intensity in experiences and fulfillment of life. If the color is selected simply on its own merits and not as compensation for a rejected shade, it indicates controlled passion. But if it is compensatory — and it may well be when you consider global economics, politics and ecology — it can signal problems like an obsession toward fruitless activity and excess to compensate for a lack of meaning or fulfillment. It can identify a need for release from a current, unhappy situation and its associated depression.

It may signify a desire for the warmth of hearth and home...the comforting flames of security and acceptance that every one of us desires. Or it might evoke the breath-taking beauty of a blazing sunset, reinforcing our appreciation for the beauty and grandeur of our planet.

Because orange demands such attention, it is often used for warning signs and safety garments. On the sports field, it stimulates the fans of the Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Bengals, and the Philadelphia Flyers — a team once famous for its unusually aggressive tactics. On the other hand, you'll see it associated with such cerebral institutions as Princeton University, Oregon State University and Caltech. Politically, it's been adopted by the Netherlands as its national color and it appears on the Indian flag.

Dramatic designs and accessories from Donatella Versace.

A color of revolution, orange was selected by the Israelis who opposed unilateral disengagement in the Gaza Strip in 2005 and by the Orange Revolution in Ukraine in 2004-2005. Ukrainians, in particular, have a passion for this color, often featuring it in their magnificently decorated Easter eggs and intricately embroidered fabrics. Could this be because the people of Ukraine have so many times been oppressed by invaders that they collectively desire an escape?

Perhaps, like many of us, they long for the peace attained by Buddhist monks who, in the Theravada tradition, adorn themselves in saffron robes. Or maybe they seek dharma — law, order, harmony and truth — like the Hindus who consider the color sacred. There are so many different meanings for the color that makes such a strong fashion statement, we may want to tone it down.

Stella McCartney's simple faux python shoe is a brilliant addition to any wardrobe.

To avoid looking Hallowe'enish, you may want to combine your orange creation with earthy brown or soft cream accessories. Paired with purple, it really pops! Whatever you choose, wear your Tangerine Tango with an attitude as brazen as the color itself. Because no matter what you do, you're going to be seen in orange.