In the navy

Regal and understated, timeless and graceful, navy blue often takes a backseat to black, grey and brown, seen more as the stuff of uniforms and nautical wear. However, with its denim-like ease of pairing and hint of warmth over black’s midnight coolness, navy pairs wonderfully well with the majority of hues in the rainbow and can bring a lot of colour to your face when worn near it.

I’ve always adored wearing this inky shade of blue and moreover it loves me. At times black can wash out my pale strawberries and cream skin (there’s a decent hint of pink to my skin tone, so I prefer to think of it as a berry instead of a peach, even though I love peaches) and overpower the green of my eyes, to curb this effect enter navy.

In the past couple of weeks while I’ve been picking up (budget friendly) items to compose my summer wardrobe with, I’ve bought two navy tops, one shrug (my first shrug ever! I know, how is it possible I went 24 years without one?), and a light weight cotton cardigan (it’s material resembles a cotton tee more than a woven sweater and will be perfect for tossing over anything and everything during the warmest months of the year).

Then the other night while reading Elle (the US edition, it’s the first time I’ve ever checked out the American version of this Canadian fashion mag staple), I spotted the most incredible dark denim shoes (with white piping and a dainty bow) from one of the ultimate masters of classic wardrobe pieces, Liz Clairborne. I tend to doubt that I’ll ever own these shoes, unless I can find a shop that sells them in person (I have uneven sized, wide feet and have learned that shopping for shoes online is never, ever a wise idea, I absolutely need to try footwear on before purchasing). Nevertheless, I can swoon and dream and imagine the plethora of outfits that these shoes would pair gorgeously and perfectly with.

These lovely heels (which I could very easily imagine some of the Mad Men gals wearing) set me looking for other wonderful navy blue pieces to inspire my summer – and year-round – wardrobe with. The following beautiful shots are but a few of the serene, sweet, and wonderful indigo hued photos that fill me with swirls of vintage inspiration.

{Blue makes me anything but!}


1. Blue dress, 2. `If the essence of my being has caused a smile to have appeared upon your face or a touch of joy within your heart., 3. threads, 4. Alice Shoot 02, 5. Blue Dress 2, 6. Vintage 50s Dress, 7. shadowspawn photography, 8. 04.11.08 {snow white... without the dwarves! }, 9. eyelet party dress, 10. blue colored rose, 11. From wonder into wonder existence opens, 12. Lexi, 13. blueberry cake {Click on a link to see a larger version of a particular image and/or for photographer information}

There is something so marvelously vintage about navy blue, to me at least. I can’t quite pinpoint what early moment in my life made me associate navy with the clothing and realm of the past, but I do and when I slip into this hue I feel a jolt of vintage energy flow through me. What’s your take on this dark, subtly mysterious colour, does navy also float your boat?