(CNN) — Capturing the cultural zeitgeist and trends for the year ahead is a tricky business. But every year, the Pantone Color Institute chooses a color to do precisely that. And it has settled on a shade of white, “Cloud Dancer,” as its Color of the Year for 2026.

The institute, which is considered a leading authority on color, forecasting trends and advising brands, described the shade as “a billowy, balanced white imbued with a feeling of serenity.”

As technology’s grip on daily life tightens, Cloud Dancer represents a “calming influence in a frenetic society, rediscovering the value of measured consideration and quiet reflection,” Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the institute, told CNN.

The color is “associated with new beginnings” and “signifies our desire for a fresh start

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