This Unexpected Color Is Really Winning Summer

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(Image credit: @amaka.hamelijnck)

A few years ago, we couldn't escape the grips of "Millennial Pink" (actually, we still can't shake its grasp), but there's a new color on the scene that's really winning the season in all its glory. You may have heard of it as "Gen-Z yellow" or "stick of butter," but it's a quieter and more subdued take on the eternally optimistic shade of yellow. Paler than something like saffron or neon, this type of yellow is a more wearable foray into the world of non-neutrals if you're looking to dip your feet into color

Lately, my Instagram feed has been flooding with the hue, and might I say I'm also won over. Bottega Veneta recently incorporated the shade into its palette for the brand's current collection (and just about anything Bottega Veneta does right now is instantly embraced by the fashion set, so there's your endorsement). Lucky for you, shelling out big bucks for designer accessories isn't the only way to get in on one of the season's trending colors, so I'm outlining all the ways to wear Gen-Z yellow for slightly less. Keep scrolling to see how the fashion crowd is wearing the shade and shop the key pieces. 

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(Image credit: @franklyfrankiee)

Perhaps the easiest way to noncommittally try out the shade is through your swimwear. Trust us, though—it won't be long before it becomes a color you wear on repeat.

Shop the key pieces:

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(Image credit: @helenacuesta)

Count us fans of wearing typical indoor clothes, outdoors—a shimmering silky pajama set can work as a casual fit for relaxed weekends.

Shop the key piece:

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(Image credit: @emmanuellek_)

Grey check is boring, but yellow check is a whole other story. 

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(Image credit: @amaka.hamelijnck)

From Coperni to Balenciaga, all eyes are untraditional suiting with exaggerated details and interesting silhouettes. This one combines a cropped blazer with a gorgeous shade of pale yellow. We approve.

Shop the key piece:

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(Image credit: @luciacuesta_)

With yellow coordinating pieces, outfits just hit different.

Shop the key pieces:

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(Image credit: @lifeofboheme)

Acne Studios also pushed the Gen Z yellow agenda hard this season. Case in point, this quirky sheer ruched skirt, and key hole leggings.

Shop the key piece:

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(Image credit: @alyssainthecity)

Are LBDs making way for LBYs? Don't say we didn't warn you.

Shop the key piece:

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(Image credit: @emilisindlev)

Feeling extra experimental? Mixing a more subtle shade of yellow with a punchier version creates a nice contrast we can't help but smile at.

Shop the key pieces:

Next: From Dresses to Décor, Here’s How to Throw a Stylish Summer Garden Party

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Fashion Market Editor

Indya Brown is a fashion editor, stylist, and writer living in Los Angeles. After graduating in 2016, she joined The Cut as a fashion assistant, eventually working her way up to fashion editor. While New York has been her home for over 10 years, she moved to Los Angeles in the midst of the pandemic in 2020 for a new chapter where she started working at Who What Wear, focusing on emerging designers, rising trends on and off the internet, interior design, and BIPOC creatives and brands. Aside from her work at Who What Wear, Brown is also a freelance stylist and writer, working on national print and video commercial campaigns for Sephora, The Independent, and Cadillac. Her bylines also include Harper's Bazaar, Vox, and The New York Times.