the fundamentals of fashion: cobalt blue

If like me, you did chemistry from secondary 1 to jc 2 (the equivalent of grades 7 to 12), you might remember that cobalt was a common feature, especially when paired with copper during electrolysis. Come to think about it, the cover of my secondary 3 and 4 chemistry textbook was cobalt blue as well. And for this season, electric blues (pun unintended) the colour of copper sulphate solution has made its stamp, part of the 80s trend that dominated the spring 2007 runways. (And while i blog, the song Blue (da ba dee) by Eiffel 65 has come on the airwaves. Ironic huh.)

Stella McCartney has Jessica Stam (my favourite model) in cobalt blue. Very city slick.

Moschino Cheap and Chic and 3.1 Philip Lim respectively have also included cobalt blue in their dresses. The 3.1 Philip Lim's dress reminds me of the blue long sleeved tunic one Kirsten Dunst wore some time back. Or was it the same piece.

As usual, what shows up on the runways quickly diffuses to the high street, which is now awash with cobalt blue pieces. If cobalt blue dresses are what you are looking for, Urban Outfitters has some nice ones from Lux. These two are my favourite of the Lux collection and I like their easy breezy vibe.

Topshop and Miss Selfridge respectively also do a mean cobalt blue dress. The Topshop piece seems very suited for a night out partying, especially when paired with sky high heels to keep the volume sleek, and while the Miss Selfridge piece has a nice 50s feel to it, the cobalt colour keeps it fresh and modern.

These pieces are a bit darker in shade, but I couldn't resist adding them in. From Mango Limited Edition New York, Mango and Delias respectively.

The Delias' piece looks cute for school. Especially when paired with stacked wedges like these ones from Topshop.

The cobalt blue trend is not just confined to dresses however, but to jeans as well, particularly as coloured denim is having a hayday now with bright colours being plastered to celebrity butts.

Rich and Skinny (top) does electric blue, with Topshop (below), providing a nice high street alternative.

Then there are the cobalt blue tops. These are from Forever 21, Alisha Levine, Miss Selfridge and Delias respectively.

As befitting the summer vibe, methinks they'd look best paired with shorts, mini or slightly-above-the-knee length skirts, or cropped pants in colours like white or biege.

These would all do nicely.

From Juicy Couture.

From Paul and Joe.

From Lux at Urban Outfitters.

Alternatively, the cobalt blue tops, especially the Forever 21 piece, could also be paired with pencil skirts in neutral colours for a nice burst of colour for an otherwise conservative outfit. From 3.1 Philip Lim and Development respectively.