It is time to meet the color of 2015 – MARSALA!

Just last month Pantone announced the 2015 must-have Color of the Year: Marsala.

Praying the color wasn’t going to resemble the chicken marsala served in Italian restaurants, I reached out to my BFF, Google… To my delight, I found it is more of a rich plum-brown that actually resembles the glass of vino I often sip on at dinner.

“It is such a deliciously warm shade, you can almost taste it just by looking at it,” says Pantone Color Institute’s executive director, Leatrice Eiseman.

“Much like the fortified wine that gives Marsala its name, this tasteful hue embodies the satisfying richness of a fulfilling meal, while its groundbreaking red-brown roots emanate a sophisticated, natural earthiness. This hearty, yet stylish tone is universally appealing and translates easily to fashion, beauty, industrial design, home furnishing and interiors.” – Pantone

Despite the fact that the initial reaction of the hue has been mixed (“icky” commented one critic, while another compared it to “freaky dried blood”), I have to say I love it.

The burnished undertones of Marsala make it so much richer than last year’s Color of the Year, Radiant Orchid, which “encouraged creativity and innovation.” Marsala, on the other hand, “enriches our mind, body and soul, exuding confidence and stability,” says Pantone. And who couldn’t use some of that in the show arena?!

But what I really love is the ease in which this “hearty, yet stylish” color can be combined with black, gray, beige and other neutrals that we so often wear in the ring.

I mean, how gorg is that shirt?

And those same burnished undertones also make Marsala highly compatible with gorgeous colors like amber, umber and golden yellows, as well as greens in both turquoise and teal, and vibrant blues.

And – oh my – I must say it looks even more stunning with metallics!

I’m already dreaming up the lace Marsala vest and matching Marsala silk shirt – adorned with big and beautiful Marsala crystals on the collar – that I want to have made to go with my black suit. **Swoon**.

I’ll toast to that.