How You Can Incorporate the Color Peach Into Your Wardrobe

This year, the Pantone Institute invites us to “embrace the warmth” with its Color of the Year 2024 selection: Peach Fuzz. It’s gentle and charming, calm and approachable - and opposite in all ways possible to last year’s vibrant and assertive Magenta. 

So let’s explore this soothing peach fuzz color! We consider its history and symbolism, see about peach color combinations, and show you how you can fold it into your style, featuring peach-toned accessories from the R. Hanauer collection. 

The History and Symbolism of the Color Peach

Peaches and peach blossoms have long been heralded for their delicate beauty, intoxicating scent, and rich symbolism.

The earliest known references to the fruit and flower come from ancient China, where peach blossoms were directly associated with the most important female deity: Xiwangmu, Queen Mother of the West. She is said to have given her guests Peaches of Immortality from trees which took 3,000 years to harvest.

Peach was also lauded in society, mythology, and art as a spiritual powerhouse. The fruit and color peach was said to protect against bad luck, ward off evil, and bring forth longevity and immortality.

The next major moment in peach color meaning came in the 1700s during the Rococo period, an era characterized by its lavish, ornate artistic style and pastel colors.

The Rococo period celebrated whimsy, sensuality, and playfulness – all welcomed sentiments by the aristocracy who were ready to be rid of the somber, rigid styles of the preceding Baroque period. Artists and designers embraced peach color symbolism, incorporating tones into their clothing and interior decor where it conveyed a sense of elegance and sophistication.

Child wearing a peach color dress in a Rococo-period painting by Hermanus Numan (1744 - 1820)

Over time, the term "peach" expanded to encompass a range of hues, from soft and subtle pinkish-oranges to warm and muted tones. It became a color that could evoke a spectrum of emotions, from feelings of optimism and comfort to a sense of sweetness and nostalgia.

In the modern era, peach remains a popular choice in fashion, interior design, and various forms of artistic expression, offering a timeless and versatile option for those seeking to combine the charm of the past with the freshness of the present. 

What Color Goes Well with Peach?

What color is peach? Orange or pink? Nature tells us both; the flower is pink and the fruit is orange. Art tells us something more reliable: peach is a mixture of orange, yellow, and white. 

The peach color palette is broad and readily accessible. According to color theory, the complementary color of peach is blue. All shades of blue are handsome beside it, from pale and Carolina blue to teal and navy. 

Another tip from color theory is to use nature as inspiration. Picture a peach orchard: different shades of brown and gray in the tree trunks; variations of green in the leaves; the sky with its blues, grays, whites and cream in the background; the fruit at different stages of ripeness – green, yellow, pink, red, and orange. All of these work well as a peach color palette. 

When shopping online and creating an ensemble with the color of the year, keep in mind that “peach” may be called by another name. There are many words associated with different peach color shades including: apricot, blush, dusk, melon, salmon, shell, sherbet, sunset, and terracotta.

Everyone can wear the color peach. Although, the prevalence of the color in a particular garment adds a caveat to that statement. Fabric that predominantly features peach is better suited to people who have warm and neutral skin undertones. Those with a cool undertone to their skin look best when the peach color plays more of a supporting role.  

How Peach Plays With Menswear

Peach’s relationship with colors across the spectrum make incorporating fine accessories into any gentleman’s wardrobe a breeze.

Those drawn to pines, paisleys, and pastels will enjoy the Peach Corina Pine, Light Blue Bernadette Paisley, and Apricot Bernadette Pine pieces from the R. Hanauer Spring 2024 collection, as well our Purple and Yellow Gordon Paisley pieces. 

 And our Peach & Aqua Madras Bow Tie is picture-perfect for Spring and Summer! (Love menswear history? Check out our article all about madras!) Those looking for more of a pop of peach color may be drawn to our Purple, Tan and Blue Morrell Paisley bow ties and neckties.

And your pocket square collection will benefit from the elegant peach pairings featured in our 2024 Collection: Orange Floral Leaves, Orange Paisley/Foulard, and Coral Floral/Geometric pocket squares. (Sign up for our email newsletter to be amongst the first to see our 2024 Spring / Summer Collection!)

For inspiration and to show us how you’ll factor peach fuzz into your wardrobe this year, follow us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Be sure to tag us in all of your dapper 2024 posts too: #rhanauer. Have questions? Connect with us – we’re here to help!