Butter Yellow Will Be Everywhere This Year—Here’s How to Style It

The year’s defining color is hiding in plain sight. Butter yellow (yes, the pastel between canary and beige) has been on the rise for the past few years, and we’ve seen it splashed across enough recent runways and style influencers to finally make a call: The soft, silky shade is about to go supernova.

For spring, such labels as Bally, Bottega Veneta, Proenza Schouler, Tory Burch, and Louis Vuitton sent the color down the catwalk. (Remember Aubrey Plaza’s viral Emmys dress? That was this spring’s butter-yellow Loewe.) And it’ll stay relevant later this year; Sandy Liang, JW Anderson, Burberry, Bevza, and Skall Studio, among others, featured mellow yellow on their fall runways. Meanwhile, we’ve spotted countless buttery looks on fashion month guests in Copenhagen, New York, and London—proof that the 2024 fashion trend has real legs. (Katie Holmes and Hailey Bieber are also on board, FYI.)

After the meteoric rise of the red trend last year, it makes sense that the next big color is a little sunnier and more chill. Finally, a hue we can all agree on—bright enough to please the maximalists, yet just neutral enough for the people who don’t do color. (Sorry, lemon yellow.) Depending on your styling, the shade can be prim, cheery, sophisticated, carefree, office-ready, or coquettish.

How to style the butter yellow trend

Nailing that styling, however, can be tough at first. To get started, swap it in wherever you might otherwise have worn khaki or cream; it looks great with black, burgundy, and navy. Light-wash denim also works well: Wear a striped yellow button-down with wide-leg jeans, or throw a denim shirt over a pale pleated skirt. Light-yellow accessories are like a cheat code—just wear buttery designer bags or ballet flats with any outfit you already like.

In other words, yellow is our new favorite neutral. Consider this your sign to take a step back from beige and gray, and invite some sunshine into your life, just in time for warmer weather. Don’t be afraid to invest in a cute spring dress, a high-end bag, or a pair of loafers; the shade isn’t going away anytime soon. Shop some of our favorite butter yellow pieces (for every season, mind you) below.

Butter yellow dresses

Need a spring wedding guest dress or something nice to wear to a big occasion? Go with a number the color of a daffodil, then accessorize with gold jewelry, strappy sandals, and a coordinating handbag. Simple.

Butter yellow tops

Perhaps the lowest-stakes way to try the color is with a T-shirt, a sweater, or a button-down. Paired with tailored black trousers, straight-leg jeans, or a full skirt, these will turn any regular outfit into something more playful.

Butter yellow bottoms

In any silhouette—flowy skirts, roomy trousers, teeny-tiny shorts—pale yellow adds just a bit more intrigue than plain white or black. These pieces lend themselves especially well to monochromatic looks, in case you’re wanting to give one a go.

Butter yellow bags

Of course, all the coolest bags are available in butter yellow. Take your pick from the celeb-beloved JW Pei Gabbi, the bow accessory that’s somehow less than $75, the bucket bag from the brand that Katie Holmes wears all the time, and the phone-size crossbody that Glamour readers love. You can’t go wrong.

Butter yellow shoes

Ballet flats, sandals, slingback heels—they all look darling when they’re the color of sunshine. Remember that despite being yellow, they’re still neutral, so you can safely pair them with pretty much anything. Get creative with colored tights and bright skirts.