Pantone’s announcement of its 2026 Color of the Year — an off-white shade called “Cloud Dancer” — prompted an immediate wave of outrage on social media, with many self-identified woke white women accusing the company of being racially insensitive and “tone-deaf.”
The company unveiled the selection last week, describing the color as a calming choice meant to reflect stability in a chaotic cultural moment, as reported by The New York Post.
The reaction online quickly shifted away from design commentary and toward political and cultural grievances.
Introducing the Pantone Color of the Year 2026: PANTONE 11-4201 Cloud Dancer. A neutral white that brings calm, clarity, and creative breath in a noisy world.
Discover the serenity of Cloud Dancer ↓https://t.co/Wvj4CkwefY#pantone #Coloroftheyear2026 #CloudDancer pic.twitter.com/6kbBU6OqlW— PANTONE (@pantone) December 4, 2025
Dozens of users criticized Pantone for choosing a shade of white, claiming the company was intentionally provoking controversy or signaling support for what they described as racial dominance.
“Let’s be honest, whiteness is being weaponized everywhere right now. It’s in our politics, our media, our police forces, our borders. Instead of reading the room, Pantone basically branded it a lifestyle,” one woman posted on TikTok.
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Another user argued the decision carried a larger cultural message, writing, “It’s not just out of touch, it’s symbolic. It’s a reminder of who still controls the narrative. They are openly mocking us, choosing purity white as the cultural color of the year while the rest of us are screaming for humanity.”
I wish this was satire but it sadly is just a reflection of the world right now.
The color of the year according to Pantone is…White.
AmeriKKKa everybody. pic.twitter.com/jSbTHIbQd5
— Gemma Lawrence (@Gemstars81) December 5, 2025
…
Pantone — the people who literally exist to name colors — picked Cloud Dancer, a “billowy, balanced white,” as their color of the year.… pic.twitter.com/PhOTtdye7N— M.A. Rothman (@MichaelARothman) December 7, 2025
A separate TikTok reaction claimed the choice echoed the criticism surrounding Sydney Sweeney’s recent American Eagle “genes” campaign.
“It’s giving Sydney Sweeney has good genes. You’re going to choose white and market it as a soothing reset? For who babe? Who is that soothing?” the user said.
Pantone’s Color of the Year 2026: Sydney Sweeney White https://t.co/QZssJYYN3n pic.twitter.com/KdBB0OPReu
— stepfanie tyler (@stepfanie) December 7, 2025
Others contended Pantone was engaged in “whitewashing,” with one critic saying, “Did you forget to read the room?” Another repeated the same question online. A different user labeled the company “Pantonedeaf” on Instagram.
Some critics rejected the political angle altogether but still mocked the choice as aesthetically dull.
“Your choice is about as inspired as mayonnaise,” one Instagram user wrote.
Another joked the pick reflected economic strain, saying it resembled “a recession indicator” and that “Pantone can’t afford color this year and neither can anyone else.”
Pantone has selected a Color of the Year annually since 1999.
A spokesperson for the Pantone Color Institute defended the process, saying, “The Pantone Color of the Year selection process is driven by the color/colors that are bubbling up across design and tying this to the zeitgeist. The emotional resonance inherent in the color is key to the selection process.”
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