Before any garment is given shape—long or short, baggy or slim—it begins as a piece of fabric with color, pattern and texture. And so textiles will always serve as fashion’s firm foundation even as it morphs through cycles of endless change.

Here you’ll find a fount of textile inspiration to draw on, an eclectic mix of color and pattern capable of expressing every mood. Pinks provide an easygoing, youthful appeal while blues are refined and slowed down. Earth tones such as brownish burgundy and shades of green harken to the environmental awareness that has come to the forefront.

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The Blues

When you get the blues, they can be tough to shake. Fortunately, there are plenty of shades to choose from to ease your mood. The latest blues include lighter shades of indigo and cobalt and come in abstract and geometric patterns befitting a digital age, where even the florals look enhanced by technology.

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Down to Earth

The ancient hue known as burgundy—which shares its name with a French wine and medieval dukedom—gets a dose of soil in its newest colorations. A touch of nutshell, maple and beetroot brown nods at environmental concerns while patterns range from boldly contemporary to retro florals you’ll want to savor.

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Sun Sets

Summertime fun in the sun means more than just high-noon golden yellow. Sunsets are often at their peak of beauty, and so are these sunset shades of apricot and orange, which might just have you craving a Popsicle, even if it will spoil your dinner. Patterns show island influences as well as timeless paisley.

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Red Hots

If some on-trend oranges make you think of Popsicles, the latest reds will have you thinking of those small jelly candies known as Red Hots. These radiant reds are positively blazing with assertion and serve as a smoldering reminder of why red is called the power color. Florals here tend toward the more traditional.

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Greenery

Perhaps no color is more plentiful and varied in nature than green, which covers everything from trees to healthy edibles and more than a few scaly creatures. Trending greens fall on the mid-range of the spectrum in shades ranging from sage and leaf to “cyber lime” on the contemporary side.

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In the Pink

Today’s pinks are not your grandmother’s pastel, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be pretty in it just like the ’80s teen movie. Expect to see deep shades called fondant or pulsating pink, which lean more toward the psychedelic rather than sweater twinset and pearls. Ditto for the bold patterns that are anything but baby soft.

DIRECTORY

Akbaslar Tekstil/STC Textiles, (917) 562-7759, stctextile@gmail.com

Cinergy Textiles, Inc., (213) 748-4400, www.cinergytextiles.com

Confetti Fabrics/KMS Group, (704) 724-2269, www.confettitextile.com

EBI Fabrics Corporation, (213) 765-0900, www.ebifabrics.com

Fabric Selection Inc., (213) 747-6297, www.fabricselection.com

Furpile Idea S.P.A./Fox Fabrics, (310) 991-2115, philfox@foxfabrics.com

Giotex Ltd., (212) 564-2000, www.giotex.com.mx, slopez@giotex.com.mx

Kalimo, (213) 628-3953, www.kalimo.com.br

KBC Fashion/LK Textiles, (323) 578-4203, www.kbc.de

La Lame, Inc., (212) 921-9770, www.lalame.com

Officina39, info@officina39.com, www.officina39.com

Robert Kaufman Fabrics, (800) 877-2066, www.robertkaufman.com

Solstiss, (212) 719-9194, www.solstiss.com

Sportek International Inc., (213) 239-6700, www.sportek.com

Tessitura Corti/Fox Fabrics, (310) 991-2115, philfox@foxfabrics.com

Texollini, (310) 537-3400, www.texollini.com