What do we think of... navy?

April

I cannot seem to make friends with navy. Every time I buy something in this color, it ends up sitting on the bench while the starters play the game.

Can anyone offer words of wisdom to redeem navy for me? Or should I just accept that it doesn't thrill me and ignore it going forward?

13 years ago

Dressing

34 replies

Latest reply was from milehighstyle (Linda)

Deborah

Veteran

April, what is it that gives you pause? I used to think navy was a very "matronly", non edgy, boring color, but since coming to YLF my view has changed. I now often pair navy/midnight blue/ink blue with black and I find I love it. There are still some items I don't enjoy in navy (like shoes) so I just steer clear. What is you coloring?

13 years ago

Krista

Veteran

I love navy and consider it a neutral in my wardrobe. However, I rarely wear navy with it's traditional partners - red or white - and I think that's why I like wearing it. I wear it with pink, turquoise, green, black, brown.... you name it, I've worn it with navy. I got the idea from my husband who has a navy suit and I've never seen him wear a white shirt with it, only color. And it looks so sharp!

I agree with Deb that it can be matronly, but it can have life if you play around a little!

13 years ago

citygirldc

(website)

Veteran

Navy is one of those color I've replaced for black. To me it's the new black although I still wear black quite a lot. Navy is a wonderful neutral and can be very flattering on all skin tones. Have you tried navy on? How do you feel wearing navy? If you feel it doesn't flatter you, than don't wear it.

13 years ago

Fruitful

Veteran

I love to wear navy but can't seem to wear black, even though it suits my skin tone. I find navy beautiful in itself as well as to wear. Navy is dark but escapes the mental associations I have with black. It has a freshness.

If you're not attracted to navy or comfortable in it, I see no reason for you to wear it.

I should add, there are different shades of navy. If you want to try again, look at the shade variations (more green-tinged or purple-tinged will have a different effect on your complexion).

13 years ago

Anonymous

The only navy I've been able to "make friends with" is a dusty navy (think denim). The dark, inky navies are definitely not for me. They wash me out just as much as black does. It's hard to explain, but a lot depends on the fabric. If it's a matte finish that comes across as soft, I can usually make it work. It has to look a bit grayed, if that makes any sense. I also don't wear black or navy near my face unless the top has a low neck and there's enough skin showing to counteract the strong color. In addition, I usually wear a colorful necklace to offset the strong color.

13 years ago

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I avoided navy for years, so I understand. I think for a long while, navy seemed like a color used in conservative, traditional style, and I associated it with nautical looks and very preppy or corporate looks, which are pretty much at the opposite end of the style spectrum from me.

I appreciate navy more now, but I still can count my solid navy items on one hand -- a Theory moto jacket (which is actually so dark it might be more of an ink blue), a pair of casual linen pants, and a sleeveless blouse... I am starting to appreciate more items with navy as a base for prints, and have a couple of blouses and a skirt that have a navy base rather than black, and I enjoy them. They seem to look particularly good with white bottoms and jeans.

Maybe if you find a print with navy that really appeals to you, that might be a way to ease it into your wardrobe.

13 years ago

Anonymous

I don't wear navy. Everything in my wardrobe that was navy was an orphan. I found it mundane and boring. I gave all the navy to the Goodwill. Now I have a rule, if it is navy it stays in the store.

13 years ago

Jjsloane

Veteran

No need to embrace navy if you're not inclined. I have enough for everyone in my closet. It's classic, it's preppy and oh so me. It has also been my black replacement recently as it's a bit less harsh on me. I love it in summer with whites, reds (yes sometimes altogether like a flag) or with royal and white (kind of greek to me) or with yellow and white (South of France), or with the newly revived kelly green (super preppy). In fall/winter I love it with grey and black and rust and this year burgundy.

13 years ago

Traci

Veteran

It definitely has to do with the color of the navy for me. I prefer a warm undertoned navy to a cool undertone. I only started buying navy in the last year and I was surprised how much it appealed to me because I hadn't cared for it in the past. Then I bought a navy skirt and realized quickly that it doesn't fit in with my wardrobe because it's the older, colder toned navy. I think of the navy I prefer as a middle ground between navy and ink blue. I love it with black, grey, camel, cream and pinks.

13 years ago

Diana

Veteran

I like navy paired with black or with greens/teals. I don't like it with the traditional red or white, it's too nautical/preppy for me. Similarly, a navy blazer always reads as too corporate for me.

I don't have a ton of navy, but my favorite summer dress is a navy sack dress. I really like it with my neon pink belt or my silver belt. By itself, or with a turquoise jacket or my light denim jacket. I think the bright colors really pop on the dark background and help make the navy more fun/less consevative.

As an aside, has anyone else had the experience of buying something they thought was black and then getting home to discover that it's actually navy?

13 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

LOL, Jeanne!!

I ADORE navy and ink blue and I wish I could replace all my black with those. Navy suits me so much more and is a better neutral for me.

Why does navy get orphaned? Maybe you just don't think it flatters you? If so, don't worry about wearing it. Or even if it DOES flatter and you simply don't like it, why wear it? Send it to me, instead!

I wear navy and ink blue with just about everything. Black, brown, fuchsia, green, gold, white, cream, denim, reds of all hues...and on and on.

13 years ago

Claudia

Veteran

I love navy. It is probably my favorite neutral.

13 years ago

(website)

Veteran

I hear you. I think I was of a like mind as you and Janet - conservative, etc. But once I got my ink blue (is that just a light navy?) cold shoulder dress, my mind changed. Then came the blue ankle boots. Neither item is at all conservative, preppy, corporate. I'd just as soon wear a sack as a navy skirt suit, but my navy items I'm loving this year.

13 years ago

Ana

(website)

Veteran

I love navy. It takes the place of black in my wardrobe (although I do have a few black things--but only because navy wasn't available). I love crisp, nautical and preppy looks, so I primarily wear it with red and white and yellow.

If you don't like it, there's no reason to force yourself to wear it. Find some other neutral that you enjoy wearing more.

13 years ago

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

I also love navy and wear it a lot. Next to olive green and deep chestnut brown it's one of my favorite colors. In fact, I love wearing those all together! But every color is not for every person. I'm with Suz, feel free to send me your navy orphans.

13 years ago

Anonymous

Hmmmm. I love navy, thought I banished it from my closet for a decade after leaving the airlines.

I'm wondering what kind of navy items you have? Are they tops, blazers, chino pants? Sometimes navy in a cotton twill can look like a school uniform. Suiting separates can look too airline. But a bright navy handbag is a different story. That looks very fresh to me. Navy in a silk blouse would be very unexpected. Also navy in a trendy piece might look more current and less fuddy-duddy. Does the color just not suit you or do you have negative connotations with the associations with navy?

13 years ago

qpswan

Active Member

As a "Modern Classic" I have recently renewed my love of navy but I appreciate that navy can be frustrating...

In summer, I love navy with white and pops of colour as well as tan and olive. In the fall/winter, I wear it with cognac and brown. (To be honest, I do have to be careful that I don't come off as a flight attendant, sailor or uber patriotic...)

Look for navy pieces that work for your style. Navy tends to be used for classic clothing so if this isn't your fashion persona, wearing navy can be a challenge.

Good luck!

13 years ago

April

Veteran

Thank you all for your thoughts. Lots of wisdom here -- about tones, textures, and color pairings.

I hasten to add that I do not lump ink blue in with navy -- I think of it as a "brighter" blue, even though it's a dark blue, and I love it paired with black or white. It's real navy (the kind Diana describes that can be confused with black) that seems to get left behind in my closet.

I will be watching for posts from all of you navy fans to learn from you how you're wearing this color.

13 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I'm going to be Big Bossy Angie. Just wear navy, the darker the better, and leave the house.

Ink blue is just dark navy. That's all. This colour combination might inspire you:

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13 years ago

Jonesy

Veteran

I love all variations of dark blue and wear it a lot! I love it with mustard, for example, when I would never wear black with mustard. I love it with gray, with berry shades, with denim. I especially love ink blue and midnight blue, but navy is fine too. I agree about the navy blazer being associated with conservative business wear, but I love it in most other ways.

13 years ago

Anonymous

I love navy and all blues, in general. I love the pairing of Navy and cognac!

13 years ago

Astrid

Veteran

I second Zapotee, I just love all blues! Navy is one of my favourite neutrals. I love it with black, grey, cream, berry colors and with denim.

13 years ago

velvetychocolate

Veteran

I love navy too - but I will confess to kind of banishing it for awhile there, due to fears of "too conservative" or possibly "too matronly".

Thing is? My bridesmaids wore midnight blue dresses, my dining room chairs are upholstered with navy/dark blue, and most importantly - navy suits my colouring a lot better than black does. I'll probably avoid wearing it with khaki, and maybe I might not pair it with red and white except for little 'pops' of colour (accessories etc.).

I was going to say I'd avoid navy blazers, but then after seeing Angie's outfit posted above, I just realized that as long as the style is new and interesting, then the "boring" potential of navy is totally ameliorated. Huh...I just realized that this is the opposite of Angie's suggestion (in the past on the blog somewhere) that very classic clothing can look extra-stylish in new colours. I wonder if the opposite is true, in that if you take an "old" or classic colour, then the styling of the item is what makes it.

13 years ago

Anonymous

I have a couple of pieces of navy, but I agree with you. I think I'm so used to incorporating black in my outfits that navy just gets stuck on the sidelines with brown.

EDT: And while I do like Angie's combo of navy with black, it's not my idea of true "navy". I do love cobalt and inky blue.....there are so many variations of navy out there, it makes it an almost impossible color to match if you wanted to.

13 years ago

celia

Veteran

I love navy.I like the crispness of it, the fact that it doesn't overpower me as black does, even the fact that it has classic connotations.
Just try to wear your navy items in outfits that make you happy.

13 years ago

Aziraphale

Veteran

Have you tried wearing navy, white and mid-blue denim? Or with heather gray? Charcoal? Those are my favourite ways to wear it.

I love navy because, to me, it's classy and timeless. But as you know I prefer a restrained colour palette. Perhaps you don't. If you really don't like it, why wear it?

13 years ago

Anonymous

Diana- About thinking it's black but it's really navy....
I can't count the number of times I wore a certain black skirt with black tights and black heels before I realized the skirt was navy. It was a long time ago and surely people must have thought I'd lost my mind. LOL...of course it was during the years when I had a 3 year old, a 2 year old and a newborn....I mean who wouldn't be only half awake when getting dressed???

13 years ago

rachylou

Veteran

I've lost navy in my wardrobe and I want it back. I'm still dreaming of that navy A-line skirt I saw. I think a piece with a sharp, modern line might make you feel better about it as well.

13 years ago

Anonymous

rachylou- You didn't go back and get that skirt yet?

13 years ago

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