Mocha Mousse: Pantone’s 2025 Color of the Year Is the Perfect Color for Parents & Kids Alike
The new color of the year is inspired by warm, earthy tones.
When it comes to parenting, color is always fun. Children’s toys are always a fun array of red, green and blue and the bright tones help add a pop of color to the day. However, the trend for next year’s colors has changed. Pantone has officially released their 2025 color of the year: mocha mousse. The smooth brown color channels warm and earthy tones, making it an ideal color for outwear, children’s clothing and everyday wear-to-work clothing for parents.
This year, we watched as quiet luxury slowly took over the soft pastels and bright-colored clothing we love. Mocha mousse is a great color for children and adults alike — the soft brown color is easy to layer and camouflage with other pieces, while its soft base invokes feelings of safety and comfort, perfect for nurseries and children.
“It could complement a neutral or pastel-style nursery – research suggests that contrasting colors are great for brain stimulation and creating engaging environments,” says Eloise Skinner, author and psychotherapist. “Perhaps try to mix up the Mocha Mousse color with stronger tones elsewhere.”
The color is an unusual twist for Pantone — previous colors include bright and happy spectrums such as this year’s comforting Peach Fuzz or 2023’s Viva Magenta.
Despite many fans believing it would be Brat Green (cue the Wicked reference), the company opted for the light beige color in a shock to many. It received mixed reactions, with some believing it was the perfect pairing color while others believed it was dull.
“Totally into the Pantone color of the year for 2025. Mocha pairs perfectly with blush pink,” one X, formerly known as Twitter, user commented. “Mocha “Meh” Mousse,” said another of the neutral color.
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The company describes it as a soft brown that transports senses into the pleasure and deliciousness it inspires. “It nurtures us with its suggestion of the delectable qualities of chocolate and coffee, answering our desire for comfort,” the company wrote on its website of the color.
“Mocha Mousse expresses a level of thoughtful indulgence,” says Latrice Eiseman, Executive Director Pantone Color Institute. The institute created the annual color reveal to help create an engaging and thoughtful conversation around color and inspire others. “Sophisticated and lush, yet at the same time an unpretentious classic, Mocha Mousse extends our perceptions of the browns from being humble and grounded to embrace aspirational and luxe.”
There are dozens of ways you can incorporate the chosen color into your life, from dopamine dressing to nurseries, clothing and accessories for your little ones.
Dopamine Dressing
Dopamine dressing became popular in 2022, and was even named one of the trends of the year by Pinterest. The action is described as the practice of intentionally choosing clothing that makes you feel happy and boosts your mood by incorporating bright colors, bold patterns, or textures, essentially “dressing for joy” based on the idea that wearing items you find visually pleasing can trigger the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward in the brain.
“It draws on the prominent psychological impact of color and self-presentation on health,” Gary Tucker, licensed psychotherapist says of the trend. “In this practical view, clothing is a way of expressing how one wants to be felt and seen, not how someone feels. This way, we are able to shift our mindset, boost our confidence, and feel empowered to share our authenticity with people.
While the color isn’t exactly what one would picture when it comes to dopamine dressing, some believe that the color perfectly encapsulates the quiet luxury trend we’ve been seeing.
“It’s definitely far softer than last year’s but I also think ‘Mocha Mousse’ reflects what we’re seeing these days in fashion which is quiet, understated luxury,” says Jamé Jackson, Actor & Media Personality who experiments with dopamine dressing. “Most people these days are reaching for the neutrals and their capsule collection of basics.”
Mocha Mousse for the Little One
While many may consider mocha mousse an adult’s color, there are plenty of ways you can incorporate it into your little one’s life. The warm color could be ideal for a nursery, invoking a warm, welcoming environment for your baby. The color also pairs well with neutrals such as those white onesies or those black leggings.
“Color has a lot of benefits for children! Seeing and being exposed to color not only stimulates their visual development but it also strengthens their cognitive processing,” says Jackson.
Color plays a significant role in the development of children. Newborns can really only see shades of black, white and gray at birth, so high-contrast colors are easier for them to pick up on, Sanam Hafeez, MD, a neuropsychologist based in New York City, tells The Bump.
“Warm colors like Mocha Mousse create a calming environment for infants, aiding relaxation and fostering a sense of security,” says Jeanne Cross, Owner and licensed therapist at EMDR Center of Denver. “Gentle hues support emotional development. Using Mocha Mousse in nurseries can evoke warmth and tranquility, making it ideal for creating a cozy, restful space for children.”
While it’s not as bright or cheery as we used to, mocha mousse provides us with the one thing we all need: comfort.
“It’s definitely a comforting color,” says Jackson. “I can see it having a positive impact when used for that purpose.”
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