Feeling Blue

For many centuries there was no blue. The word didn’t exist in any language. Every language began with black and white, or dark and light. The next was red, the colour of blood and wine. After red, historically, yellow appears, and later, green (though in a couple of languages, yellow and green switch places). The last of these colours to appear in every language is blue. The only ancient culture to develop a word for blue was the Egyptians - and as it happens, they were also the only culture that initially had a way to produce a blue dye. The Meaning of the Colour Blue Blue represents both the sky and the sea, and is associated with open spaces, freedom, intuition, imagination, expansiveness, inspiration, and sensitivity. Blue also represents meanings of depth, trust, loyalty, sincerity, wisdom, confidence, stability, faith, heaven, and intelligence. The colour blue has positive effects on the mind and the body. As the colour of the spirit, it invokes rest and can cause the body to produce chemicals that are calming and exude feelings of tranquility. Blue helps to slow human metabolism, is cooling in nature, and helps with balance and self-expression. Blue is also an appetite suppressant. However, not all blues are serene and sedate. Electric or brilliant blues become dynamic and dramatic, an engaging colour that expresses exhilaration. Also, some shades of blue or the use of too much blue may come across as cold or uncaring, and can dampen spirits. The colour blue communicates significance, importance, and confidence without creating somber or sinister feelings. This is where the corporate blue power suit and the blue uniforms of police officers and firefighters came from. Considered a highly corporate colour, blue is often associated with intelligence, stability, unity, and conservatism. Too much blue can create feelings of melancholy, negativity, sadness, self-righteousness, and self-centeredness. Too little blue brings about qualities of suspicion, depression, stubbornness, timidity, and unreliability. Different shades, tints, and hues of blue have different meanings. For example, dark blue can be seen as elegant, rich, sophisticated, intelligent, and old-fashioned, royal blue can represent superiority, and light blue can mean honesty and trustworthiness. Wearing Blue Wearing different shades of blue is not particularly difficult. Here are some tips: Keep it simple: You can pair a lighter shade of blue with a darker shade of blue if you keep things simple. Don’t create optical illusions with sophisticated prints - stick with block colours. A pair of dark denim jeans can look very good with a light blue blouse. Similarly, a pair of washed-out denim jeans can look good with a dark blue blouse. Play around with different fabrics: Making sure that each of the pieces have different textures will create more of a distinction between the two shades. For example, pairing a denim skirt with a pastel blue silk blouse. Accessorise: It’s fairly easy to tote around a blue bag or strut around in a pair of blue heels when your outfit is also blue - but if blue is not an option, or if you want to tone the ensemble down a bit, stick to neutral accessories. Accessories in nudes and blacks and whites can highlight your outfit. Ann G Linen has a large variety of different shades of blue in a range of styles. Some of our favourites are: