Emily Beckman • Apr 26, 2017

Gray Area

Retailers are easing off of the classic pink-and-blue buys for baby to fill the racks with more all-inclusive options.

In light of today’s increasingly gender-neutral climate, retailers are easing off of the classic pink-and-blue buys for baby to fill the racks with more all-inclusive options. However, our research shows that instead of guessing the customers’ favorite gender-neutral hue, buyers have found it easier to simply go colorless. “Gray is here to stay,” says Lynn Meyer of Lynn Meyer Showroom in New York City, adding that gray is doing a good job of holding its own against other neutral colors. “It’s a sophisticated color, and almost all shades of gray are appealing—you can’t quite say that about yellow and green.” Gray’s calming, muted nature makes it not only perfect for apparel, it also has become a reigning shade in nursery décor. Having the ability to warm it up with red accents or cool it down with blue, gray is a tested crowd-pleaser for driving sales.