European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 20, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A photo me Gulf me Fife rink for of color aug Platlan of tie United state Dit play her forecast Charti for 1988.shades pinpointing trends in color by Nancy Shulins associated press sleet storm is polling Manhattan painting its streets sidewalks and skyscrapers a relentless Gray transforming the City into a monochrome broken Only by the occasional Streak of a yellow cab. On the top door of an office building in the Center of a Gray Midtown Block is a Wall or Clear plastic bins each containing a fabric Swatch of a different Hue. At first glance they All seam to to there att the rid vibrant colors that Are missing on this colourless Day but look again. Those Are riot today s colors at All says Margaret Walch whose Tweedy Gray trousers Echo the View Iron her windows. Thai s t929 s Camel. This is the red of Wor Warll water is director of the color association Ottha United states Caus. There at its Headquarters shades of the past the somber palette of the depression the sugary pastels of Eisenhower years. The Avocado greens and Harvest golds of 60s refrigerators Are labelled and stored. It s also a Laboratory. Shades of the future the four new pinks of w. The coloured neutrals of so tha sleek. Industrial tones of b9 Are Here Loo already created by panels of experts who come together in a periodic exercise thai is part sociology part fashion part Hunch to the overage consumer american fashion Magazine headlines announcing the return of Green or the departure of Blue often seem puzzling and arbitrary. Says who Consumers exclaim somewhat indignantly. Says Ellen Alpert it Macy s and Elaine Flowers of Echo scarves to name just two members of the women s color committee of 1986. To trained Coloriss As they arc. Such pronouncements Are logical progressions in a world where the color wheel is constantly spinning to reflect our rapidly shifting preferences. It is the association s Job to pinpoint nearly two years in Advance Lor a clientele that ranges from the largest department store to the tiniest it Ernst those spokes that will Best capture the colors americans will hunger for in the future. The forecasts Are delivered to fashion designers textile Mills paint manufacturers and others who use Thorn As guidelines for new products. Twice a year since 1917, Caus has issued these forecasts Lor men s clothing women s clothing and children s clothing once a year Lor Interior shades. The extent to which the association s members rely on the forecasts depends upon several factors. Watch says. Among them she says is regionalism it s a feel of life thai the Sun shines More in Albuquerque than in does in new York. As a result colors can be More intense in the West and the Southwest than they Are in the  and some designers Alexander Julian for example whose menswear is marketed under tha Trade name go Toure Are so strongly ass daled wifi Rich hues that a forecast of neutrals no Mailer How trendy is Apt to be shunned. In the years since world War ii the association s Job has gotten tougher. The wheel has been spinning Ever faster to reflect our growing restlessness As Well As our increased appetites Tor color. Invariably from Lime to time history repeats itself. My generation grew up with a Good Deal of stack and White says Walch our movies slides photographs appliances and television Al were Black and White. But in lakes mile cd furl to make those things in color. Today s generation cipo cts  so much so thai Loday 5 color saturated youth now equates Black and while with in Ovadon sonic of America s Hollos clothing designers have rediscovered the Black and White advertisement to capture the youth Market s attention to Walch a social historian whose credentials include authorship of a history of color there la More to our National mood swings than meets ins yes. Color Are a Mirror of our Tomas she says we land to View history in terms of words w symbols. Ills to Stibla to look Back in terms of Cotos  it s no coincidence to watch that americans favored Black automobiles during the dark 30s and pastel convertibles during the Carefree sos. The patriotic years of world War were reflected by an abundance of reds the Blued red of old glory the regal red of the american Beauty Rose the 503 brought color conservatism wimpy pastels Sweet Little Pink sweater sets powder  the Ash Lon revolution of the 60s changed All that with a decade of coloured Brights what Walch Calls the Camby Street Colora Royal Blue Canary or Lemon yellow or True reds at used  the colors of youth. Last year americans dressed Down favouring athletic Wear punctuated by Neon colors escapism Wales says matter of factly. For the most Par that escape was Short lived today s somber shades in the United states Echo the dark tones of the 30s. There is something frightening out there. There s a lot of uncertainly Walch says. We be had some of the same kinds of shake ups As we did during the depression. And during the Heigh of the depression the leading color was  Slack As in the dominant color of 1936, the current preference for Pink and yellow is equally predictable Walch says. There Are two ways to respond to hard times she explains first there s the direct response. In a threatening environment to tend to cover ourselves up or disappear in Blacks and Greys. The other response when things Are bad is to do the opposite. A woman who feels exhausted does one of two things either she puts on red lipstick a typical response or she goes to the other exl remo and wears no makeup at All. We re wearing Black yes but we re also wearing pinks and yellows to express Hope for a future Hal we re not quite so sure will  we re going to Start seeing neutrals with a Richness of co for Pinky Grays Blued pinks greenish  the thyme Gray chamomile Green end Bronze Moss forecast for Spring and summer will provide us with a much needed transition you cannot move people violently to 1988 s new colors sophisticated Oil tones that Wilt translate into dressier More adult clothing escapism is out coping is in in 10b8, Well be coming into More secure limes. We Are More capable of dealing with them. Well have brightened up. There will be fewer protective colors and a very assured sophisticated palette. This is highly speculative but i read these colors As meaning we Are coming of age in the 20th Century. We have problems but we re going to Deal Wilt them in a very adult  watch acknowledges that when it comes to analysing color choices it s easier to look backward than Forward. Members of the selection committees do not for the most part choose colors on the basis of projected socioeconomic or political conditions. They Are cognizant of the issues members of the men s committee discussed the new lax Law and agreed thai it s Likely to mean change. But like to rest of us they Don t really know what will  says water. For the most part they re relying on highly in Luolive subjective  that committee members lend to agree on their choices in t so surprising considering these people Are Ell living in the same time and place they re All working in visual Fields and they re All looking around and paying Allen Jon " one Welcome constant in the somewhat Illy area of color forecasting is the oyo s frequent desire Lei change. Ii you doubt in. Try wearing your favorite color Lor a week Walch who owns an abundance of Blu Man tailored Shir is conducted jus i such an Experiment. Alter three  she reports i Lell very bad the stars and stripes Page 13