The Weekend Read * Blue Monday: How Wearing The Right Blue Can Change Your Day

Judi Prue | Read in 8 minutes

Hello!

The third Monday in January is generally known as Blue Monday, the most miserable day of the year. The festive sparkle has faded, the weather is grey, the evenings are long, the bank balance is in shock, and suddenly that new year motivation feels like a distant memory rather than a lived reality.

Whether Blue Monday is scientific fact or clever PR is up for debate, but emotionally, it often does feel like a low point January is a funny month. It’s quiet, slow, reflective and sometimes just a bit flat.

So we thought we’d reclaim Blue Monday. If it’s going to be blue let’s make it a colourful blue. Let’s use it as an excuse to talk about one of the most powerful, versatile and emotionally uplifting colours in your wardrobe. When you wear the right blue for you, doesn’t make you sad. It makes you look brighter, fresher, clearer, calmer, more confident and more alive.

So today’s Weekend Read is a little love letter to blue and how this colour can quietly shift how we feel, how we show up, and how we see ourselves even on the bluest of Mondays.

Why Blue Has Such a Strong Emotional Pull

Blue is one of the most universally loved colours across cultures and generations. It’s the colour of the sky, the sea, clear water, distance, calm, depth and space. Psychologically, blue is associated with trust, clarity, reliability, peace and steadiness.

It’s why banks, airlines and tech companies use blue in their branding. It signals safety. It suggests you can rely on me. It soothes the nervous system and slows things down. But in fashion, blue is even more magical because it’s one of the few colours that can feel both calming and energising, depending on its tone, depth and clarity.

A soft sky blue can feel peaceful and gentle. A bright electric blue can feel powerful and vibrant. A deep navy can feel strong, elegant and grounding. Blue doesn’t shout but it speaks with confidence. And in January, when everything outside feels grey, wearing the right blue can be like switching a light on inside yourself.

The Weekend Read * Blue Monday: How Wearing The Right Blue Can Change Your Day

Blue Is in Every Seasonal Palette

One of the lovely things about blue is that it belongs everywhere in the House of Colour world, every season has its own beautiful versions of it. There is no such thing as not being able to wear blue. There is only wearing the wrong blue.

When you find your blue, it becomes a hero colour. It works with your skin, your hair, your eyes, your energy and suddenly blue goes from being safe and boring to being quietly transformational.

Let’s wander through the seasons…

Winter Blues: Clear, Strong, Powerful

Winter blues are bold, cool, intense and striking. They are electric blue, royal blue, dark navy, turquoise and lagoon blue and ice blue. These blues have clarity and contrast.

On a Winter, these blues make the skin look clearer, the whites of the eyes brighter, and the whole face more defined. They feel confident, elegant, modern and powerful. This is the blue of crisp winter skies and deep oceans. It doesn’t fade into the background it stands out.

Summer Blues: Soft, Gentle, Elegant

Summer blues are cool but muted, soft and powdery. They are cornflower, delph, sky blue, airforce, duck egg, powder blue, pastel aqua and French navy . These blues are calm, light and soothing.

They create harmony rather than contrast. They soften the face and bring a gentle glow rather than a sharp brightness. Summer blues are the colour of hazy skies, watercolour paintings and peaceful mornings.

Autumn Blues: Deep, Rich, Earthy

Autumn blues are warm, deep and complex. They are kingfisher, marine navy, peacock, and heliotrope. These blues have warmth to them and they feel rich, grounded and luxurious.

They echo the colours of deep lakes, feathers and forest shadows. On an Autumn, they feel warm, alive and quietly dramatic. Autumn blues don’t feel cold they feel cosy, interesting and textured.

Spring Blues: Fresh, Bright, Joyful

Spring blues are light, warm and clear. They are aqua, turquoise, bright blue, Oxford blue, aquamarine and bright navy. These blues radiate energy and they feel playful, optimistic and alive. Spring blues lift the face, add freshness and bring a sense of lightness and fun. They feel happy, youthful and energising.

Why Wearing the Right Blue Actually Makes You Feel Better

This isn’t just about looking better it’s about feeling better. When you wear a colour that works with your natural colouring, a few things quietly happen:

Your skin looks healthier and more even instead of looking tired, dull or washed out and your eyes look clearer and brighter. When you receive compliments you stand a little taller, smile a little more and feel a little more you and when that happens your brain gets the message that you are doing something is right.

So while Blue Monday tells us we should feel flat, wearing the right blue tells us the opposite. It says that we are visible and that we're worth it and sometimes that’s all the emotional lift we need.

How to Use Blue in January Without Feeling Cold or Boring

If you love blue but feel like you’re always defaulting to navy and denim, this is your invitation to expand your blue world a little. Try layering blue with your neutrals an d wear blue near your face rather than only on your bottom half. Try one of your other blues from your palette which could be slightly brighter, softer, deeper or clearer than your usual ones.

You can add blue through knitwear, scarves, tops, earrings, glasses frames, handbags or even trainers. Blue doesn’t have to be serious, it can be playful, cosy, soft, structured, elegant or bold depending on how you wear it. Let blue be something you enjoy not something you hide behind.

A Little Navy Experiment to Try This Week

If you’re not quite ready to leap into electric blue or turquoise just yet, navy is a good place to start because it already lives in most wardrobes . Try a jacket, a knit, a dress, a pair of trousers or trusty jeans. But instead of treating navy as just another neutral we invite you to play with it a little this week and notice how different colour pairings subtly change not just how you look, but how you feel.

If you’re a Winter, try your navy jacket or knitwear with a bright white or ice blue top and perhaps a silver necklace for a clean, cool, elegant look that feels calm and polished. Then swap that top for something bolder like a fuchsia scarf, an emerald bag or a bold red lip and notice how the whole outfit suddenly feels sharper, stronger and more confident.

If you’re a Summer, pair your French navy cardigan or dress with a blue-grey or mushroom scarf, a pale pink knit layered underneath, or a soft white trainer for a light, chic combination. Then try lifting it with a cornflower blue top, a rose gold necklace or a raspberry or burgundy bag and see how it brings freshness and brightness without feeling loud.

If you’re an Autumn, marine navy becomes more interesting when it’s warmed up. Try your navy trousers or jacket with a camel knit, an apricot blouse or a soft olive scarf for a grounded, relaxed and effortlessly stylish feel. Then add in something richer like a rust scarf, a gold necklace or a mustard top and notice how the whole outfit suddenly feels deeper, more luxurious and more expressive.

And if you’re a Spring, bright navy works beautifully with light, warm neutrals. Try your navy jeans or skirt with a cream top, a tan cardigan or warm beige trainers for a fresh, clean, easy look. Then lift your look with an violet scarf, poppy red trainers and a leaf green bag and suddenly it feels playful, joyful and full of energy.

Final Thoughts: A Reframe for Blue Monday

Maybe Blue Monday isn’t the most depressing day of the year after all. Maybe it’s just the day we notice how we’re feeling and maybe that’s not a bad thing.

January invites us to slow down, check in, take stock and choose what we need; more rest, more warmth, more colour, more kindness to ourselves.

So if Monday feels a bit flat, that’s okay. You can make it feel like a good day

by putting on something that makes you feel brighter, clearer, calmer and more alive. Blue isn’t the colour of sadness, it’s the colour of depth, calm, clarity, trust and quiet confidence. So on Blue Monday, we’ll happily take this version instead.

Next week in The Weekend Read we are talking about handbags, their origins and why women don't leave the house without one. As well will be give a inspirational shopping catalogue filled with our handbag top picks.

Best wishes,

Judi & Jenny xx

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