What should I wear with blue?

Are you feeling blue?

Moody Blues

And seemingly out of the blue, we find ourselves in the third week of the new year, with yesterday being 'Blue Monday'. The third Monday of the year has since 2004 been dubbed Blue Monday, allegedly the most depressing day of the year. The concept originated as a marketing ploy by Sky Travel to encourage more holiday bookings – exploiting post-new-year depression at (in the UK) a dark and cold time of year. 

In this blog post, I'll focus on three shades of blue: cobalt, teal and navy, showing you characteristics of these blues and other colours you can style them with.

All things bright and 'blue'tiful

Search online for colours that are set to trend in 2026, and you'll find cobalt blue among them. It's an ideal colour to wear to banish the winter blues. On the one hand, cobalt is intense enough to give you a dopamine boost and brighten your outfits when sky tones are dialled down to grey. But as a shade of blue, it shares the traits of other blues, such as serenity, trust and professionalism.

Worn close to the face, cobalt is suited to those of us who look best wearing bright, clear colours. For those who've had a seasonal colour analysis, this would be Springs and Winters. 

If you find cobalt blue too vivid or cool for you, try wearing a pop of brightening blue as an accessory - perhaps a bag or even a pair of blue suede shoes! Otherwise, look for tints that have some brightness but just a touch less intensity.

It's time for teal

Another colour trending for 2026 is teal. WGSN and Coloro have chosen 'transformative teal' as their shade of the year. A blend of blue and green, teal's characteristics are warm, soft and deep. Teal is therefore perfect for those with warm skin tones who have been analysed as Autumns or those who feel that cobalt would be too bright or harsh. No idea which seasonal palette is best for you or been analysed as a different season? There will be teal tones for you which will suit your complexion and harmonise with the clothes you love to wear. For some of you (those with a 'Summer' complexion), the softer, muted end of the teal spectrum will suit you best, whereas Spring complexions will be boosted by a brighter teal more akin to turquoise. 

In the navy

Navy is the new black. Although there are versions of navy that may suit some of us more than others, any navy is likely to suit more of us than black.  Is yours a rich, muted marine navy that's like a very deep teal, a soft, dusky navy, a bright clear navy or the deepest tone you can find that itself is practically black?

Blue could be seen as an easy colour to wear. After all it’s a colour both for the pinstripes of the boardroom and the denim of our downtime, but when it comes to pairing it with one or more other colours, how do we avoid a fashion 'blue'per?!

Flying Solo

When wearing blue, you can of course wear just blue.

• Double denim - popular in the seventies and eighties - can be part of an intentional look in 2026. Create the appearance of a one-piece outfit by wearing the same shade of denim top and bottom or go for a tonal look with a mix of blues.

• Top-to-toe cobalt or teal creates an eye-catching look. Adding tan, grey, bright or metallic accessories (jewellery, belt, bag, tie) can add fun or sophistication to your outfit.

Neutral Territory

• We're all familiar with the cross-gender corporate style of navy suit or separates and a white shirt. A light neutral such as white or silver adds contrast to deep navy for crisp, sharp dressing. 

• Gone are the days when only one shoe colour was acceptable with any particular colour of clothing. Warm neutrals such as cream, beige, tan and chocolate can all pair well with a warm navy like marine or bright navy. 

• Gold, silver and even animal print add pared-back neutral interest to a plain blue outfit.

Blue Sky Styling

All-blue or blue-and-a-neutral outfits are a safe way to wear the conservative colour blue. But if you're up for something a little more adventurous, here's some blue sky thinking!

• Opt for colourful contrast, pairing blue with a complementary colour (one on the opposite side of the colour wheel) like orange or coral. Still wary of making too much of a colour splash? Pair these brighter hues with denim or a navy jacket. 

• Add a dose of sunlight to your winter blues with yellow. Mustard and teal would be a beautiful pairing. 

• At the risk of dressing like a flag (remember Ginger Spice's dress?!), red, white and blue is a classic combination. Use this as inspiration and adapt with teal and burgundy or navy with fuchsia.

Intrigued to know if a particular blue is for you? Had a colour analysis back in the day but forgotten the detail or wonder what's right for you now? Head to my website for details of my 1:1 colour analysis (priced at £150) or come with a friend for a 2 Together service (£125 for each of you).

Colour Analysis

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