Mocha Mousse: Pantone’s Color of the Year Links Dessert with Fashion Forecasts

by Kerri Cooke

Chocolate brown is THE color of winter 2024/2025. While brown is always a staple color in a timeless wardrobe, it tends to come in second to black. And while shades of camel and khaki are relatively common, all shades of browns are entering the limelight. This is made evident by the fact that Pantone has named Mocha Mousse as its color of 2025, which is a medium brown.

The name Mocha Mousse is meant to imply what the color represents or makes a person feel. Mocha is that deep chocolatey flavor that is loved in coffee while mousse directly implies the decadent dessert. Laura Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute, says, “It’s about reframing experiences, understanding the importance of little pleasures and living in the moment. It could be a sweet treat, a nature walk—the whole idea is about personal comfort and indulgence; but they don’t have to be just about yourself. It’s also something that you can gift and share with others.”

The experts at Pantone emphasize that Mocha Mousse is a warm color meant to evoke the comforts of everyday life. Lee Eiseman, the executive director of the Pantone Color Institute says, “We call it a sensorial warmth because it does warm the senses; when we look at a color like Mocha Mousse, we can smell that warm, delicious aroma of chocolate—we can certainly taste it!—and in addition to that, our eyes tell us that it has this inherent sensorial warmth.”

Mocha Mousse is bound to be a hit in fashion. We’ve already seen the color presented in runway collections for spring/summer 2025 at shows such as Dries Van Noten, Tory Burch, and Chanel. Max Mara regularly makes uses of these earthy browns, as well. Mocha Mousse translates well into fashion because it’s a color that anyone can and will wear. It’s not a bright Barbie pink that certain people will avoid, but a warm brown that is considered a neutral in anyone’s closet. The color will match anything, much like a versatile pair of blue jeans. The shade has the advantage of being a nude to those with silky brown skin tones.

Pantone’s color of the year is inspired by society’s idea of indulging in sweet treats to escape everyday drudgery, but it also has the potential to inspire a whole new social media trend of its own. Imagine consumers purchasing a satin dress or donning a pair of Mocha Mousse-coded trousers to go on a girl’s brunch at a local bakery. The color fits so well in our daily lives that it will beg to be documented on Instagram or TikTok.

If you’re not a social media girlie, don’t fret. Mocha Mousse will add a dash of luxury to your wardrobe regardless. As an earthy, rich tone, this shade will not only link you with the natural world but also have you elegantly standing out in the crowd. You don’t even have to wait for Mocha Mousse to hit store racks. Visit your favorite boutique and you’ll find a selection of stylish brown pieces already waiting for you.