Bright blues, like royal blue, electric blue, china blue, superhero blue, and cobalt blue, are an acquired taste. Some love them, some like them in small doses, and some don’t like them at all. In this post I’m going to refer to them all as cobalt, which is the collective name I like to use for these colours. Some are bright, and others are darker and more subdued.
You can remix versions of cobalt in a single outfit to create a fab monochromatic effect. Remix cobalt with brights, purple, shades and tones of greens, or with neutrals. Cobalt is a slam dunk combined with black and white, and that’s one of my favourite ways of seeing it worn. I also like it with dark blue denim, which is a lot like wearing it with navy.
I used to wear some cobalt when I wore black and white outfits. But since I no longer wear black, cobalt has fallen out of favour. I don’t miss it, but you never know. I might wear it again one day. If you bat for Team Cobalt, these outfit ideas might be of interest to you.
1. Black and Dark Denim
Trendy Classic Fabness and my favourite of the four outfits. Combine an on-trend pair of dark jeans like these cuffed wide crops with a black top. Add black boots that work with the bottoms. Throw a cobalt topper over the lot, and finish off the black complement with a bag to match. The cuffs in this look add a lightness to what would be a much darker outfit without them. I like the cuffs, but you might prefer the look without them.
2. Stand-Alone Solid Accessory
Adding a cobalt accessory as an item that stands alone can be a fun addition to a neutral outfit. Here the wearer adds a cobalt beanie to an earthy turtleneck and black coat. I can see blue jeans and black boots finish off the outfit. An earthy handbag that matches the top would look good too.
3. As a Pattern
Wear cobalt as a pattern if that’s more your cup of tea. Here cobalt is part of a Fair Isle pullover, with cobalt bottoms to match. A cobalt bag adds even more of the colour. Things are pulled together by black boots that pick up the black in the pattern. Black bottoms with taupe or cream boots could work well too.
4. With Fuchsia
If you like fuchsia and cobalt, you can wear them together either as solids or in patterns. Here, there is fuchsia in the cobalt scarf, which creates a cohesive visual with the fuchsia striped pullover. The cobalt pants add further cohesion by picking up the cobalt of the scarf. Try a solid fuchsia top to match the scarf if pattern mixing is not for you. Finish of the look with tan, brown, cream, navy or metallic shoes. If you have footwear to match the cobalt and fuchsia, that’s dramatically fab too. Add jewellery, watch and eyewear as desired.
