Shades of Blue - YouLookFab Forum

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Shades of Blue

Deborah

Veteran

Hi Ladies,

A couple of weeks ago I posted about how much grey I have in my wardrobe and how seeing it all together, made me realise I had many tonal combinations that I had not even considered.

http://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/grey-out

Another colour that I would happily increase is ink or navy. So upon coming home this afternoon with a nice new fluid navy tshirt with jersey sleeves and sides and silky back and front (#2 - it's pinned at the waist, but it actually is loose and fluid), I decided to gather all the blue in my wardrobe and try and get a sense of if I actually need more, do I have enough and do I wear the garments.

#1 are my blue items. Ranging from dark navy/ink to cobalt, with two items almost that blueish purple.

I was particularly surprised to see the amount of blue I have and I knew immediately that I don't wear it all. But seeing it together and putting the tones against one another, again I can see some potentially lovely combinations.

So I am wondering, while mixing the blues with blacks is a no brainer and a combination I really like, is it ok to wear blues of different tones together to create a tonal look like you might with whites or greys?

I have a funny relationship with navy. For many years, I felt it was very frumpy. As a result it's rare that I wear it on my bottom half (I know, makes not sense at all, it's just a 'thing' I have going on lol), but love wearing it on my top half and find it very flattering to my skin tone and eyes. Of course it's the difference between looking like you are just wearing mismatched clothing and looking as though the varying tones are intentional??

What do you think? Do you wear a lot of navy? Does it have certain associations for you?

And BTW, I have my clothing in type, then colour, so while there are small clusters of navy when I look into my closet, it wasn't until I pulled it all out and hung it all together did I see just how much there is.

xxx Deborah

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24 replies

Latest reply was from Jjsloane

dashielle (Ann)

(website)

Veteran

I'm with you on having considered navy as 'out' for many years, but have changed my tune since joining the forum and seeing it predominate in stores recently. I tend not to buy it in solids for tops because I wear a lot of dark wash jeans and it felt too matchy matchy. I may have to branch out though and try it. I think it would be great to do a shades of blue outfit! I don't know how it should be done but I'm sure someone here will. Perhaps I'll play in my closet tomorrow!

Deborah

Veteran

I would love to see what you come up with dashielle:) And I also have an aversion to matchy matchy navy, which could be why the tonal concept appeals to me.

dashielle (Ann)

(website)

Veteran

Navy head to toe feels like military uniform or bad 80's womens' suiting with big hair and shoulder pads, or it could be just me

Deborah

Veteran

It's not just you! You have just reminded me of a navy suit I wore for work in the early 90's. Big and roundish shoulders, long over a shorter skirt... I thought that memory had gone... I may need therapy

dashielle (Ann)

(website)

Veteran

From my mind's eye...

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rachylou

Veteran

I love that pic, dashielle. I have a weird relationship with blue. For years I had an aversion, and yet sorta wanted to like it it because of its symbolism. And then I discovered via YLF I don't see that well in the blue range. A lot of the blues all look like one blue to me. What a blow to the ego! Because I have worked to develop an eye (my peeps make you). In any case, I'm really all for it and think it works beautifully with your palette, Deborah. But not that I can assuredly see it...

MuseumGal

Veteran

Tonal blues are fab together. I often wear shades of blue from head to toe. Give it a try, I bet you'll be surprised.

approprio

(website)

Veteran

Navy might just be my favourite neutral. I've been steadily acquiring it since it started trending again a few years ago and now I have quite a lot of it, including four of my coats and my one pantsuit.

I remember reading that Jean Muir never wore anything else and it stuck with me. I can wear it from head to toe and feel very chic in a way that I never do in black.

Astrid

Veteran

I love navy and all kinds of blues... I have to be careful if they're overly bright or saturated, but otherwise blue is a no brainer for me.

Aquamarine

Veteran

I *want* to love navy, but can only wear it if it's got some texture. Otherwise, the flatness of it does me no favors. I do love denim, however, but it's rarely flat navy. Even my darkest denim is woven with subtly shiny threads or enough white threads to add some depth.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

I love wearing navy and wish I could magically turn some of my black clothing dark blue. It is just much more flattering on me and I was happily oblivious during the time it was out.

Anonymous

I like navy a lot, but haven't worn it or had it in my closet for a number of years. I don't particularly like it head to toe, but I feel that way about black and other colors as well. For me it's not so much a matchy-matchy thing as it is a "heavy" thing. Bringing in other colors lightens things up and looks a lot better on me. Lastly, there are certain shades of navy that I like better than others.

I don't do denim with denim, either; just can't get "Texas tuxedo" out of my head, lol.

Since joining YLF, I have purchased a few navy garments. The thing about navy is that it goes with certain colors that don't play that well with black or gray. I've been trying to be more creative by mixing various colors or shades of the same color in my outfits.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

What Shevia said. I love navy and ink, and (as you probably know, LOL) I love all blue. My blue is your black! I could not live without blue in my closet!

So yes, I do navy head to toe. ALL THE TIME.

And I'll also happily combine tones.

As with all-black in my experience, combining navies from different dye lots etc. works much better when there is some textural variety or interest going on.

I wear denims (all washes) with navy or ink (or other blues) all the time, and like the effect. But I understand some people dislike it. Aziriphale comes to mind; I remember she had a post about not liking to wear blue tops with blue denim. If I fell into that camp, I probably wouldn't be able to get dressed, LOL. I will even wear denim with denim, but judiciously (I hope).

I remember last summer I wore my navy VC tube skirt with a navy J. Crew linen tee. I was not crazy about that combination because it felt too flat/ not dynamic enough for me. And there a few navies in my closet that just don't play well together. Similar to black, I think -- the undertones don't marry. When that happens, my fallback is (gasp) black -- as a navy partner!!

kkards

Veteran

i'm with suz on this….my love for navy/ink knows no bounds. for me it is my fallback. and i often wear it as a column of color. i'm new to mixing navy and black, but i'm slowly coming around.

retailgirl

Veteran

I love navy and almost all shades of blue. It should be a good color for you! ( actually, I think blues are almost universally flattering.) I also think it's the perfect counterpoint to black and gray. And white! Do you read The Vivienne Files? She recently did several posts on accessorizing a gray wardrobe and one was with blues.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Debs, we never see you wear these blues - or have I missed the outfits?

I wear ink-out - down to the boots. Shades of blue look great together in one outfit. I'm excited to see the combinations, Debs. xo

tulle

Veteran

Does navy have associations for me? Oh yes--my beloved button-front bell-bottom woolen sailor pants from the surplus store! Wore them all through college, and felt warm, stylish, and tall. My wardrobe today is probably 75% blue, from the palest porcelain to the inkiest ink, and I love it all. My at-home uniform is jeans and a long-sleeved striped or solid dark blue tee; it just makes me feel comfortable and ready for action. In Winter I add a long navy sweater and a printed or striped scarf in shades of blue. The mixing of blues isn't a problem as long as you keep shades in the same family (gray, black, green, or violet undertone.) Deep navy and ink substituted for black can be a cool blonde's best friend, so I've been very happy to see more available this year. Definitely stocking up a bit to prepare for the inevitable fade back to black!

Deborah

Veteran

Thanks for the wisdom and encouragement ladies. I am looking forward to playing with blues.

Angie, you will have seen quite a few of these items worn with black. I have worn some of the tops with black pants or skirts but I have only tried a tonal navy look once that I can recall. And some of them are winter items so haven't been worn for a little while.:)

Lyn D.

Veteran

That pic makes me very happy Deborah
Looks a bit like my wardrobe.
Don't 'force' yourself to wear blue if you are not feeling it though- that is quite a number of pieces that are taking-up valuable space and not getting much wear?

Deborah

Veteran

Lyn I thought of you yesterday as I was looking at my navy In among this cluster is a navy Metalicus jacket (the Kahlo Drape jacket) which is Autumn / Winter weight also two pairs of ponte pants (winter) in fact upon thinking about it the majority of these are worn in the cool weather, so I will be holding off until it cools when I can really assess what I do and don't wear.

Dimity

I'm with you in that I saw navy as frumpy for many years. It made me think of frumpy old ladies in ill-fitting polyester trousers. But I really like it, and now that I can call it 'ink', my perspective has changed. Now I'm bringing it in to my wardrobe and for me it feels fresher than black because I wore black for decades and I've been tired of it. I just have to make sure that anything I buy in ink doesn't look like something my mother would wear, or I get the heeby jeebies and won't wear it.

Caro in Oz

Veteran

You know how I feel about ink & navy I wear it from head to toe - much better than black for me.

I do think the "frump" factor that people talk about is not so much from the colour (there are bad navies as there are cheap looking blacks) but from the style of the clothing. For a long time the only things available in navy were really boring & not modern.

Deborah

Veteran

Caro that is so true. I have only recently found some items that I feel reflect my style in navy and blue tones.

Jjsloane

Veteran

I'm the wrong person to ask of course. I am navy/ink/blue all the time anyway. I don't recall seeing you in much blue but think it would be stunning and still maintain your graphic sensibilities. I'm not talking liberty prints or anything but the shades you've show all make ME happy. I am so ingrained that jeans are the ultimate neutral that I feel all blues work with anything. Of course if one overdid they might come off a bit like a colorwheel or a cult...
I think navy got a bad rap from being used for bad clothing styles. You have a very discerning eye and will know what works for you (or you'll ask us and we'll help you)