Pantone Autumn/Winter 2025 - London Color Palette: Hot Chocolate, Fig and Cumulous Cloud

These are the last three colors on the London Color Palette for Autumn/Winter 2025. These are not exact matches, but you can see the actual colors in this pin. I would not have thought to pair these three colors together, but these are what was left after using the other colors on the palette. The reality is, you can pair any colors and create a beautiful outfit by focusing on textures and accessories. Let’s look at the details.

This is a very basic, casual look, but we are all at different stages in life and an outfit like this is perfect for a day of running errands and meeting your girlfriends for lunch. It is comfortable, and warm. Today, I am starting something new. For each piece I am wearing I am going to add a Why I Like It sentence or two, to help you understand my Fashion Philosophy a little better.

Let’s start with my Cumulous Cloud, Christopher & Banks vest. This medium gray is not a color I reach for very often, but I do have a few pieces that are similar to this color. I think it can be a great neutral, but the medium to light grays have a tendency to wash me out, but I don’t let that keep me from wearing the color, I just try to find other ways to bring more color to my face, like a scarf, or even my makeup scheme. I didn’t do as well with that for this outfit, but I still like how this look turned out.

Why I Like It: I have always been a vest girl, and while I am not thrilled with the color, I do love the texture on the front of this piece. It is also a perfect neutral to pair with many other pieces and colors.

My Fig button down is a thrifted Van Heusen men’s shirt. I probably could have found a shirt that was closer to the almost reddish purple, but I ran out of steam. Burgundy might be a better choice.

Why I Like It: It’s purple, what other reason do I need? Ha, ha. There is something about the simplicity of a man’s button down. There’s no lace, no texture, just a basic shirt with a nice pattern. Sometimes simple, masculinity is a nice change from feminine frills.

This color was not popular on my affiliate website, so you are on you own for finding dark purple pieces. If you do a Google search there are a things that pop up.

Next up is the color Hot Chocolate. This color was on the New York Palette (you can see that post here), and these thrifted SO jeans are a little light, but again, it is what was closest in my closet.

Why I Like It: I have always liked the casual vibe of a utility pant, coat or vest. The fact that these are also jeans makes it even more fun, plus I was thrilled to find jeans in a different color. Any brown pants I have are dress pants.

I tried this look with several iterations of layered necklaces, but it just wasn’t working. Finally, I started going through my scarves and immediately knew this thrifted piece was the perfect accompaniment.

Why I Like It: I specifically liked it for this outfit due to the inclusion of every color - Cumulous Cloud, Hot Chocolate and Fig. I think it pulls the whole look together. I bought it because it is different. It is not the traditional square or oblong scarf, and it has that beautiful fringe detail.

Finally, I chose my thrifted, suede Keds sneakers, a cute backpack for my bag, and a simple bead necklace that was made years ago by my oldest daughter.

Why I Like It: The sneakers are more like shoes than sneakers due to their being dark brown and made of suede. I know these things aren’t even an issue any more, but back in the day, sneakers were white and typically not suede.

The backpack bag was a purchase made in the last couple of years as a travel item. I think I got it at our local Meijer.

While my daughter originally made this necklace when she was into beading and trying to sell jewelry, I obtained it when she was getting rid of a bunch of stuff. I love the color and the cute little dangly bead.

What do you think of these colors? Would you wear a casual outfit like this? What pieces do you have in your closet in these colors? I love to have your feedback so feel free to leave a comment or two.

I’ve included a few shopping links for you to look over. These are affiliate links. What I have found with these Pantone colors is that they are not always available at the retailers used with the affiliate, so that is why you don’t see links for everything. However, this is for your inspiration and to get you to look at your closet with new eyes.

I hope you have a great weekend!

Color Play: Red Orange with Shade of Purple and Brown

This week I am showing you an outfit I actually wore all day. This colorful combination was inspired this past week by my husband’s Aunt Lynn who always wears skirts. I have so many fun skirts that I never wear and I thought, well, why not? Last week while she and my mother-in-law were visiting I donned this purple and blue skirt for a trip to our favorite British Tea Garden restaurant a little ways north of us. This week I decided to pull out this fabulous bohoesque piece. Keep reading for all the details.

Lighting makes such a huge difference in picture quality, as my daughter who is a professional photographer will tell you. It also makes a difference what sort of camera you use, time of day and so on. More expensive phones can take great pictures, and my little IPhone SE does okay, but on a bright, sunny day in the shade it just doesn’t capture the true essence of the colors in my outfit. My top definitely leans more towards a red orange, but in these phots it looks more red.

My top is a very recently thrifted Chico’s piece and is a linen blend. I’m not a huge linen fan as I have said before, but I do like the cool factor of linen, and a blend shows a little less wrinkling, but what really sold me on this piece were the sleeves. Aren’t they fun? Three layers of fringe add to the Bohemian vibe of this look.

This thrifted, colorful skirt is Notations brand. I like that it has a bit of a crinkle to it. Does anyone remember the old “broomstick skirts” from back in the 90’s? I had several back in the day, but ended up getting rid of them. They, like many trends come and go, but if you are into Boho or Cottage Core aesthetics in your fashion then you’ll want to keep a few of these long, wrinkly pieces. I have incorporated a couple back into my rotation, thus my desire to show off my skirts here and there.

The skirt has, not only the red orange color, but dark purple, a medium brown, a subtle olive green, and a periwinkle blue. For today’s outfit I wanted to emphasize the purple and brown in part to show off this fabulous glass bead necklace I found at the thrift shop around the corner from my house. They have so many awesome treasures. My grandson, who I have been watching this week said he loved my necklace and that the dark purple beads looked like candy. Ha, ha.

Another second hand find, this Universal Thread cross body bag was exactly what I had been on the hunt for. Obviously, it is more like the old fashion “butt packs” that we used to carry back in the 80’s. What I like about this version is being able to wear it across my chest. It makes it feel more secure and is very easy to access. This is a soft, buttery faux leather and, while small, it holds my wallet, phone, keys and a tube of lip gloss. What more does a girl need?

If I look a bit tired in the above picture it’s because I am exhausted. With my spouse being disabled from his gimpy ankles, having company last week and now watching a very energetic, stubborn, and loud three year old, I am pooped! But God is good and we will persevere, not because of who I am, but because of who He is!

For shoes I went with my older, tan Keds. While they are not as cute as a pair of sandals would be, they are much more practical for chasing a rambunctious toddler.

What do you think of this outfit? Do you have a colorful skirt that you like to pull out in the warmer weather? What colors does your skirt have in it? I love to hear your thoughts and ideas so leave a comment or two.

I’ve included shopping links interspersed throughout the article to give you options if you want to shop. These are affiliate links and are brought to you at no charge. If you purchase through a link I provided I get a small commission. Thank you for all your clicks, likes and comments. I treasure each and every one.

Have a great Tuesday!