I used to hate the color orange with a burning passion. Being from Salem, Massachusetts, it reminds me of the haunted holiday that my city is known for: Halloween. Even though the mix of red and yellow is supposed to symbolize the harvest season, it seems cheesy to me. Despite the stigma of orange being an ugly color, it fashionably stands out. While it is not my favorite color, it is slowly becoming one.

I’ve been finding myself buying more and more orange-colored clothing and accessories lately. I bought these Nike Air Force 1s with a neon shoosh. I found a tangerine scrunch underwire bikini set for the summer. I purchased this jumbo hair claw clip, a midi slip dress, and a mesh contrast-stitch skirt at Urban Outfitters. Most of my shopping carts on various websites are even filled with citrus-colored things. Why have I suddenly become so obsessed with orange?

Summer is slowly approaching, and we all need a tangy twist in our lives. Designers established spring 2022 as a season of bold color, so what better color to embrace the trend than orange? Orange may seem risky because it can resemble prison jumpsuits, but it is in right now. While we are craving to wear this color, it can be intimidating to wear such a colorful statement if you’re used to wearing mostly neutral clothing. However, it is really not a hard adjustment at all.

With hues ranging from neon to soft sorbet, the color can easily adapt to the wardrobe you might already have. A common misconception about wearing the color is how it does not go with anything. Orange actually adds a pop to everything. It goes best with pastels and neutral tones like cream, brown, and black, but it can also look great with other bold colors like bright blue and hot pink.

There are so many orange products on the market today. When I went to Urban Outfitters just last week, they had a whole section devoted to the color—from tops to skirts to makeup to accessories. It can be overwhelming seeing this bright tangerine everywhere, but it is much more simple when buying anything with this color. Start off with small doses, for example, buying a top. It is easy to match an orange tee or tank top with some jeans or even cargo pants. The more you match, the more you become comfortable with the color. Bottoms can be tricky because you might feel like you are a fashion victim, but you can step outside of your comfort zone. With keeping your upper half simple, a bright bottom color allows you to stand out.

While the trial-and-error process of styling the cantaloupe color may be intimidating, its vibrant characteristics enable us to be more creative with our wardrobe through color. The next time you go shopping, I hope you find the color orange as ap[peal]ing as I do.