Salmon Pink

Brief History, Fashion, Interior Design, Branding, Pantone® + More

Jul 02, 2025

The warm summer color known as salmon sits somewhere between pink and orange, and is another one of my personal favorites!

Brief History

As you probably guessed, the color gets its name from the fish. Its skin naturally ranges from pale pink to rich coral, depending on diet and habitat.

People started using the term “salmon” to describe color in the late 18th century, when naturalistic naming conventions became popular. Think “sage” or “rose” — you get the idea.

Salmon’s rise as a fashionable color mirrored shifts toward softer, less formal palettes during the 19th century. The color would appear in gowns and even men’s waistcoats during the Romantic era.

Historical Salmon Dress. Image from Pinterest.

Then, salmon had a couple major revivals in the 20th century. Once during the 1950s, when the color would be paired with domestic bliss, and again in the 1980s, but this time, paired with bold, tropical modernity.

Today, salmon continues to appear throughout fashion and interior design to branding as a perennial summer favorite typically, but is also not confined to that identity.

Fashion Design

Salmon’s versatility makes it a fashion go-to for those who want to experiment with both vibrancy and restraint. Interestingly, today’s examples show the color place in future men’s fashion, specifically Spring 2026.

Amiri Men Spring 2026

Amiri’s Spring 2026 menswear collection, for example, uses salmon to infuse classic tailoring with a confident, preppy twist, proving the color’s fresh versatility in modern men’s fashion.”

Dior Men Spring 2026

Dior’s Spring 2026 menswear collection, on the other hand, makes a bold statement with salmon trousers, pairing the playful color with classic, tailored looks. And comically oversized, cargo-style shorts.

Interior Design

In the interiors below, salmon walls and furnishings create a warm, enveloping atmosphere that feels both cozy and sophisticated.

The color’s rich pink-orange tones add playful vibrance while maintaining an earthy elegance, making it perfect for bold, stylish spaces.

Branding

Salmon is a distinctive choice in branding because it’s eye-catching yet soft, conveying both warmth and modernity. While it’s not as common, several brands and industries have used salmon or salmon-like shades strategically.

I couldn’t find many examples, but the menu below uses salmon as a warm base, giving the Diego’s Breakfast in Bed brand a playful, inviting vibe.

Salmon Branding, Diego’s Breakfast in Bed. Image from Pinterest.

Pantone® & More

The shade I’ve been using throughout this post is closest to Pantone’s 16-1544 TCX Persimmon. Take a look below:

And here are the HEX, RGB and CMYK values for that shade as well:

HEX: #FA8072

RGB: 250, 128, 114

CMYK: 0%, 49%, 54%, 2%

Pantone also has their own shade called “Salmon”, but this shade is a bit lighter in value, softer.

As usual, thank you so much for reading, and hopefully you learned something new today about the color salmon. If you enjoyed reading, please give this post a like so I know what you guys want to see more of:)