Drawing attention as you walk into a crowded room or down a sidewalk in 2012 will not involve verbal skills. Your fashion choices say it all. A striking cobalt blue suit screams, “I’m confident!” A color-blocked dress, similarly, states, “I bring together polar opposites.” And, any garment in tangerine tango – 2012’s “it” color – says, “Turn your eyes to me.”

To those who attended the latest fall Fashion Week, the choice by Pantone shouldn’t be a surprise. Designers attempted to out-do each other by going brighter, bolder, and more vibrant with solid-color garments. To the rest of us, tangerine tango, which sounds like a fruit juice cocktail in name, comes from nowhere, especially when a pinkish color – called “honeysuckle” by Pantone – was all the rage this time last year.

So, what makes tangerine tango – essentially, blood orange – appealing? Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®, stated in a press release, “ Sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it. Reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy.”

More importantly, how did Pantone do a 180-degree change, from muted and modest to attention-grabbing and vivacious, in a year? They claim that, like every year, this color grew in popularity with designers (obvious by fall Fashion Week 2011) and consumer demand over the past few years. And, they’re somewhat on the spot. Remember the orange lipstick trend from last year? Demand, as well, is ubiquitous across all facets of fashion: men’s and women’s wear, accessories, and cosmetics. Even décor is getting on the orange bandwagon. Essentially, Pantone anticipates that this “spirited reddish orange” is about to be everywhere.

Of course, the rest of us are waiting for an explosion of demand and a greater presence on celebrities. So far, it seems, not too many of the celebrities, A-list or Dancing with the Stars-level, are tangoing with tangerine. So far, the color has been more of a runway affinity.

Orange functions well when playing off contrasts; if there’s too much, the color is too loud. It’s the flamboyant to the staid; the extravert to the introvert. With this notion in mind, tangerine tango is best placed next to a neutral, dark, or cool shade: blues, black, or white, preferably.

That said, tangerine tango is ideal as an accent, the color that pops from an outfit. Incorporated into a complex pattern, it naturally creates an eye-catching contrast, for instance as an orange floral or paisley print on a neutral background or as geometric shapes among others. Color blocking presents more opportunities. In this case, opt for a garment in solid tangerine tango or two-tone to mix with black, blue, and white pieces, possibly with some green included.

Although a cliché (and one often wrongfully applied to makeup), less is more, particularly when orange is concerned. Just how low can you go while still maintaining a trendy high? Stick with accessories – and only one in orange. A thin, solid-colored belt, bracelet, necklace, or even a flower hair accessory plays off the semi-seriousness of an LBD.