Hey guys, happy Friday! So, I wrote an entire blog about color trends for spring and summer, basing it on information coming from the Pantone Color Institute. However, after thinking about it, I realized I wanted to write one on popular color trends according to Tanya…that would be me. I get that the Pantone Color Institute knows their shit and they have a lot of research and what not to back their top color picks, but let’s face it, this is not Vogue and we do not live in Paris. Plus, I probably could not even source a t-shirt in the color “Little Boy Blue” or “Lime Punch.” And let me rewind a little, the reason I chose to blog about this is because I have gotten this question a lot lately, “What colors should I go with for my next design/garment?” Many of our customers are beginning to design their spring/summer collections, which typically means lighter, brighter colors. Let’s face it, we live in Louisiana and we all know it’s HAF during the summer, so black may not be your first choice when choosing your workout clothes in the morning. And for those of you who do not live in Louisiana, here’s a toast to you because the humidity here makes it feel like someone is stuffing your head in a plastic bag. But anyway, back to the point…here is MY breakdown of some summer colors to consider for your next round of merch…
I will go ahead and start with one of my favorite colors for t-shirts right now (drum roll please)…TAHITI BLUE. Yeah, you’re probably thinking the same thing I am. Just hearing the color makes me want to hop on a plane to the French Polynesia (Joel, if you’re reading this, I may or may not be hinting). This color is so calming and the perfect summer color. You can throw some white ink on it, orange, or even black. Here is fantastic example of one we recently printed for CrossFit Atakapa.
Next… Coral, Salmon, & Sunset. These colors are similar, but coral is more of a pinky orange and tends to be brighter than salmon, which is more of a dusty, grey pink. As far as sunset goes, here is an example of a design we did for Ragin CrossFit on a sunset color tank. GORGEOUS. 
Gentlemen, I know you’re probably thinking…men don’t wear those colors. Actually, yes they do, and it looks fiya on men, as well as women. Bella Canvas recently released these new “Prism” colors, and one of my favorites is this Heather Prism Sunset tee.
What’s awesome about these 3 colors is the variety of ink colors that can be matched with them to make some badass designs. You can go with something subtle like grey/white or maybe try something nautical. Here is a nautical theme color palette to get your ideas rolling.
The last batch of colors I would like to talk about are subtle, but so fun and easy to design with. Oatmeal, tan, and cream. These are all very natural and unisex. There are an infinite number of colors that would pair with these color garments. I am not one to suggest a white t-shirt…for obvious reasons, but these 3 colors are PERFECT alternatives to white. Here are a few examples we printed for CrossFit Acadiana...Both of these tanks are an oatmeal triblends, and as you can see…both ink colors look great paired with it.
And then here is a cream color tee
So…point made…perfect color garments for easy designing.
I hope all of these suggestions were helpful. I wanted to provide you with some possible options for the upcoming season. However, do not take this the wrong way…these are only suggestions, if you like black and grey t-shirts, roll with it. Those are always great colors and easy to wear and design with, as well. But, if you are looking to steer away from the darker garments for a few months, now you have a few ideas to get you started. Thanks for reading, guys, and I hope to start summer designing with you all soon!!
P.S. if you have anything you would like me to blog about next, shoot me an e-mail: tanya.southernapparel@gmail.com. These blogs are for you, so I would love to know what you are curious about. <3
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