Butter Yellow Will Be Everywhere in 2024—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 trendNailing 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, high-end bag, or 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 dressesNeed 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.

Reformation Kerrigan Linen Dress

Free-est Feeling Bonita Midi-Dress

English Factory Billow Belted Minidress

By Anthropologie Tommie Cap-Sleeve Smocked Front-Zip Shirtdress

Butter yellow topsPerhaps the lowest-stakes way to try the color is with a T-shirt, sweater, or button-down. Paired with tailored black trousers, straight-leg jeans, or a full skirt, they’ll turn any regular outfit into something more playful.

Boden Fluffy Pointelle Sweater

J.Crew Alpaca-Blend V-Neck Cardigan

“Life Is Butter” Dream Apparel T-Shirt

Rachel Antonoff Bread and Butter Tank

Butter yellow bottomsIn 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.

Wilfred Twirl Pleated Skirt

Butter yellow bagsOf 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-sized crossbody that Glamour readers love. You can’t go wrong.

Mango Shoulder Bag With Bow Detail

Mansur Gavriel Mini Leather Bucket Bag

Tory Burch Miller Robinson Leather Phone Crossbody Bag

Butter yellow shoesBallet 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.

Jeffrey Campbell Dancerina Ballet Flats

Stuart Weitzman Sofia Slides

Franco Sarto Racer Slingbacks

Marc Fisher LTD Elenda Loafers