The right kind of blues: how to wear the colour of the year

If there’s a colour to have on your radar this year, then it’s blue. This middle-of-the-spectrum, denim-wash shade is enjoying a moment in the spotlight, thanks partly to the colour authority Pantone declaring ‘Classic Blue’ its Colour of the Year for 2020. This particular hue was championed for its ability to instill ‘calm, confidence and connection’.

Of course, the John Lewis & Partners design team had no idea this would be the case when they started plotting the spring/summer 2020 womenswear collection a year ago. But Kate Bell, Partner & Senior Designer, isn’t surprised by the coincidence. ‘We were looking at blues as a direct link and acknowledgement to the importance of our oceans and sustainability,’ she explains. ‘Shades of blue form a calming antidote to our increasingly frenetic lives and suggest softness and fluidity.’

Blues were prevalent on the spring/summer 2020 catwalks with Kate calling out the stripes at Prada as a key influence. What this means for our wardrobes is a fresh and optimistic – but never shouty – colourway to temper crisp whites, soft beiges and natural-toned accessories. Chances are, if you have a denim jacket or pair of jeans hanging in your wardrobe, you’re already sporting classic blue, or why not invest in this season’s classic blue tailoring for a more high-fashion spin? ‘It’s so universal and a colour that suits everybody’ says Kate. ‘You just understand it as soon as you see it.’

Shop the blues