Hey everyone, it’s Mia from the Accessory & Brand Merchandise supply team – and before you ask, yes, I’m currently typing this between restocking a bulk order of custom keychains and answering 12 texts from our client over in Toronto. If you’ve been scrolling through Instagram, TikTok, or even walking past a mall kiosk lately, you’ve probably noticed one thing: colors for accessory brand merch this year are wild, but in the best way possible. No more boring, generic black or neutral tones that blend into the background – 2024’s accessory merch color palette is equal parts nostalgic, high-energy, and weirdly intentional. As someone who’s sourcing colors for 50+ brand clients (from indie streetwear lines to big-name sports teams), I’ve got a front-row seat to what’s actually selling, not just what’s trending on TikTok for 2 seconds. Accessory & Brand Merchandise
Let’s start with the color that’s everywhere, and I mean everywhere: neon mint. Wait, hold on – not the muted, “fresh out of a 2018 skincare ad” mint. We’re talking the neon, almost electric shade that glows when you point a phone’s flash at it – the kind of mint that makes black backpacks or baseball caps pop so hard you can spot them across a crowded festival. Last month, a small sustainable streetwear brand came to me asking for custom woven lanyards, and they picked neon mint instead of the “safe” forest green they’d used for years. Within two weeks, they had to reorder 30% more because their customers were grabbing mint lanyards over every other color, even pairing them with random neon pink accessories. I thought it was a fluke, but then a client that makes sports team wristbands hit me with the same request – neon mint, not the team’s official navy. Turned out, Gen Z and millennial shoppers don’t care about “brand official” colors anymore if a neon shade makes their merch Instagram-worthy. The data backs this up too: accessory sales tracking platform WGSN reported that neon mint has a 42% higher sell-through rate for keychains and lanyards compared to 2023’s go-to teal. It’s not just random either – it’s the perfect middle ground between the neon Y2K nostalgia we’ve been living in and the more muted pastels that were big a couple years ago.
Next up: terracotta + soft sage duos. Wait, I know what you’re thinking – “isn’t that last year’s boho vibe?” But hear me out. This year, it’s not the earthy, dusty terracotta and deep sage of 2023. It’s the bright, almost clay-like terracotta paired with the super pale, almost grey sage that’s sometimes called “ghost sage” by color designers. We’ve been making custom enamel pins for a brand that does hiking and outdoor merch, and they were using this exact duo for their trail maps pins. What’s wild is that it’s not just outdoor brands – a popular K-pop light stick accessory line came to us last quarter asking for their keychains to have terracotta charms with sage details, and those sold 3x more than their previous all-black designs. Why is this pairing hitting so hard? I think it’s because it’s versatile – it works for niche outdoor communities, for K-pop stans, even for corporate branded notebook accessories. You can slap it on a phone case, a tote bag, or a metal dog tag and it doesn’t feel too “on trend” that it’ll look dated next year. Color trends this year are big on “transitional” shades – stuff that works for multiple use cases, not just one viral moment. That’s why this terracotta-sage combo is sticking around, not just fading after a season.
Now, the surprise dark horse that no one saw coming: deep plum. Wait, plum? Like, the color of a ripe plum? For merch? I thought the same thing when our client that makes leather keychains asked for deep plum instead of the usual black or brown back in March. But let’s talk numbers: over the past three months, plum keychains have outsold black ones in our indie brand client base by 18%. Why? Because black is, let’s be real, boring. Everyone has a black keychain, a black tote, a black lanyard. Plum is rich, it feels a little luxe, but it’s not so wild that someone would only wear it for a specific event. It pairs with everything – jeans, a white blazer, a festival tee. I also noticed that luxury accessory lines are jumping on it too – we just finished a bulk order of plum-branded luggage tags for a high-end travel brand, and their pre-order numbers were 50% higher than their 2023 orders of navy tags. It’s the perfect “step up” color for people who are tired of neutrals but don’t want to go full neon. It’s moody, it’s versatile, and it’s actually been holding steady through the whole season, which is rare for a new color.
Wait, can we talk about the outliers? Because it’s not just these four main colors – there are two tiny, specific shades that are blowing up for very niche but profitable brands. First: “acid yellow.” Not the mustard yellow of 2022, not the pale butter yellow of 2021. Acid yellow is bright, almost almost canary, the kind that makes you think of old-school portable CD players and 2000s skate brands. We did custom snap-back hats for a streetwear client that uses acid yellow, and they sold out in 72 hours. The second outlier is “coral peach” – not the pastel coral of summer 2023, not the deep orange of fall 2022. It’s that soft, slightly pinky peach that’s been popping up on hair clips and phone grips for beauty brands. Last month, a beauty influencer came to us for branded metal makeup brush holders, and she picked coral peach, and those sold out in 48 hours on her site. The thing about these outliers is that they’re not for every brand – but for the right niche, they’re gold. You don’t want to use acid yellow for a conservative law firm’s branded mousepads, but if you’re a skate brand or a K-pop group? That’s your color.
A lot of people ask me why these colors are different from what we saw last year. Let’s be real, 2023 was all about maximalism and bold, clashing neons, but this year it’s about intentionality. Shoppers don’t just want a color that looks good on their feed – they want a color that works for their lifestyle, that’s versatile enough to wear every day, and that makes their merch feel like an extension of their personality, not just a branded billboard. Also, post-pandemic, people are more willing to spend a little extra on accessories that feel unique, not generic. If your brand’s merch is the same as every other brand’s, people will skip it – but if you use a color that feels fresh, like neon mint or deep plum, they’ll pay more for it.
As a supplier, I’ve had to pivot a lot this year. Back in January, all my clients were asking for black and navy, and by March, neon mint was the top request. I had to place a bulk order of neon mint enamel pins in February, and I was worried it would sit in our warehouse – but by April, we’d sold 10,000 of them to 12 different clients. That’s the thing about this year’s color trends: they move fast, but they stick around longer than last year’s viral trends. You don’t have to chase every weird color that pops up on TikTok, but if you pick a few of these shades that fit your brand, you’ll notice a huge difference in sales.
If you’re a brand owner, merch manager, or just someone who works with accessory and brand merchandise, let’s chat. I’m always here to help pick colors that fit your brand, not just what’s trending for the week. Whether you need custom lanyards, enamel pins, keychains, or anything in between, we’ve got the colors, the materials, and the experience to make something that sells. Don’t hesitate to reach out – I’m always available for a quick chat about color palettes, sample orders, or whatever you need. Let’s make your merch stand out this year.
80C RC Aircraft Lipo Battery References: WGSN Color Futures Report 2024, NPD Group Accessory Sales Tracking Data 2024, Etsy Trend Report 2024.
ManiaX Power Technology Co., Ltd.
ManiaX Power Technology Co., Ltd. is one of the most reliable accessory & brand merchandise manufacturers and suppliers in China, also supports customized service. Please feel free to wholesale bulk durable accessory & brand merchandise made in China here from our factory.
Address: Room 1508, 15/F, Two Grand tower, 625 Nathan Road, Kowloon, HongKong. P.R. China
E-mail: info@maniax-power.com
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