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I honestly believe that my good friend Jeanne Bice was one of the very few women who changed the way woman ‘of a certain age’ wore color!  Before Jeanne, women over 40 were forced by clothing designers with items that were limited in color to just dark shades of black and brown.  When Jeanne first appeared on QVC in 1995 she proudly proclaimed:

“Listen ladies, throw out those dark shades and step into all of the beautiful colors of the rainbow that God has given us – it’s time to take color away from just the cute skinny young ones and reclaim what is rightfully ours!”

And you know what – you all listened – and Jeanne brought you more and more and more vibrant colors each month to match your vibrant and beautiful souls!

Jeanne LOVED color – and so do I!!  When Jeanne would call me up, she would frequently say to me – “Patrick, Quacker Factory is all about comfort and excellent quality – but it’s also about color – don’t ever forget that.  Color is a reflection of ones soul – so make sure you ALWAYS wear a little bit of color every single day.”  I’ve followed her advice – and every time I am on QVC showing Quacker Factory, I make sure to have one of my trademark colored sweaters on – it helps me know that Jeanne is right there in the studio with me!

When Jeanne bought her new house in Florida, she ‘hired’ her daughter Lee to be her decorator since Lee had a degree from the prestigious Parsons New School of Design in New York City – and her first instruction to Lee was to make sure there was LOTS of color.  Lee also loved color, so she had no problem meeting her mother’s expectations – as you can see from these pictures of Jeanne’s stunning home!  The first one is of Jeanne’s Family Room and the second one is of Jeanne’s Living Room  - and of course the third one is of my favorite room in her house – the Kitchen.  (I think you’ll agree that Lee did a Quack-Tabulous job!!

Jeanne loved this time of year around the holidays because it meant that she could add even MORE color in the house with all of her gorgeous Christmas trees!  Here’s a picture of one of her many colorful trees:

Another beautiful woman who Jeanne admired, Dolly Parton, loved color as well.  Who can forget her hit song ‘Coat Of Many Colors’?!

And our Quackers who are Red Hatters know a thing or two about color as well!  Many years ago a woman named Jenny Joseph wrote a poem called ‘Warning’ that starts off with these words:

“When I am an old woman I shall wear purple

with a red hat that doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me…”

That poem started a revolution of sorts, and now wherever you go, you can see ladies sporting their purple outfits and their fabulous red hats taking inspiration from the poem that is all about embracing life and FUN, rather than being held back by age, and what everyone ‘expects’ an older lady to be and do!  Jeanne & Jenny definitely changed the way women wear color – and I personally believe the world is a better place because of that!!

Speaking of color, did you know that there is one very important group that sets the worldwide standard for colors?  It’s called The Pantone Color Institute and just about every known designer relies on it to ensure color consistency around the world.  In short, Pantone is THE color expert!  They provide color trend forecasting and use a standardized color reproduction system that allows different manufacturers in different locations to be able to match colors perfectly.  Quacker Factory and QVC rely on the Pantone system to ensure each of your items is consistent and beautiful.

Each year in December, Pantone announces their Color Of The Year – and it’s something that I really look forward to!  I’ve loved writing my ‘Patrick’s Pick of the Month’ blogs for you the last few months – and I’ll be bringing you more picks in the New Year – but for now I’m happy to reveal to you the Pantone Color of 2015!!

This years stunning and beautiful color is – drum roll please…

Marsala

On the Pantone website, they describe this beautiful color like this:

“Marsala is a subtly seductive shade, one that draws us into its embracing warmth.  Much like fortified wine that gives Marsala its name, this tasteful hue embodies the satisfying richness of a fulfilling meal while its grounding red-brown roots emanate a sophisticated, natural earthiness.”

I couldn’t agree with them more!  And lookie here – I’ve found a picture of our beloved Jeanne Bice wearing a color very similar to it.  (She was ALWAYS ahead of the current trends!)

What do you think of the 2015 Pantone Color Of The Year – Marsala????  Are there any items you would like to see our incredible Design Team make with this color? 

I announced the Pantone Color Of The Year yesterday on my Facebook page, and one of our Quacker viewers wrote to me and said she thought the beautiful color Marsala looked like fine wine – my reply back to her was “I’ll drink to that!” 

I agree with the great Oscar Wilde’s quote about color:

“Mere color…can speak to the soul in a thousands different ways.”

2015 marks our 20^th year on QVC!  We have a lot of exciting plans for the ENTIRE year.   Make sure you have signed up to receive our emails so you don’t miss a thing!!   Click here to join:  http://bit.ly/Join_QF

Quacker Hugs & Love From Across The Pond – May you all have a very COLORFUL start to your New Year!

Patrick Hoy

xoxoxo