Emerald is Pantone's 2013 Color of the Year.

Each year, a new hue is coined color of the year by Pantone.

As it turns out, this year is the biggest thing for emerald since the Wizard of Oz was in the city. So naturally, I had to see what this color was all about.

Emerald is not necessarily “my color,” but knowing that it’s the color of the year, I couldn’t let it go by the wayside. I’m not insisting you walk out the door in head-to-toe emerald, but learning ways to incorporate popular trends into your wardrobe is always a fashion must!

Surprisingly, I haven’t seen an overwhelming amount of emerald in stores or online. Pastel tones seem to saturate boutiques and department stores this season. But after digging deeper through the racks, I found some versatile pieces that you can easily mix into your wardrobe throughout spring and summer.

There are two ways you can dress yourself in emerald this year. You can either have an all-or-nothing attitude with a statement piece, or you can ease your way in with separates or accessories.

A striking emerald dress would definitely make a statement, and its one-piece appeal makes it easy to create an outfit. If you’re shy to the emerald color, try a colorblock dress so you can slowly introduce it into your style.

Accessorizing with a bold emerald piece is surprisingly simple. Throwing on a bright bubble necklace against the rich emerald tone would brighten it up for spring and summer. If that’s a little too adventurous for you, then gold or rose gold accessories are perfect additions to the color.

Emerald comes in many shades, so when searching for separates, I wanted to find lighter pieces to match spring and summer colors. I also searched for pieces that can be dressed up or down to get the most out of them — a wise fashion rule you should always keep in mind.

A peplum tank top paired with skinny jeans or over a high-waisted pencil skirt is ideal for spring and summer.

Pieces with lace or crochet construction are right on trend, and the fact that they are covered in emerald is a double bonus. Tuck in a tank top or chambray shirt to these charming shorts, keeping them the center of attention.

Last but not least, emerald accessories are for those of you who want to wear the color of the year in a subtle way. Emerald earrings, rings, necklaces or even a pair of emerald heels are all fabulous options you could try without having to invest in a trend you may be hesitant to wear.

— Emily Kennedy is one-half of the stylish duo behind The Fashion Column blog she shares with her twin sister, Elizabeth. Emily can be reached at fashioncolumnblog@gmail.com.