Big things are happening with baby blue. The icy hue is gaining traction — and after the intense over-saturation of the pale, rose pink and the reactionary palettes of acid greens and flashy, bold pinks — the color's cooling effects are a welcomed change. Maybe it's just me, but there's something about baby blue that's a bit more subversive than its pastel contemporaries, and with suffocatingly hot weather around the corner, a glacial color might bring some visual comfort.
If fashion is responding to the world of its consumers, like masks that obscure your face from the surveillance state, maybe baby blue isn’t exempt from the discourse. Can climate change urgency be tied to the come up of baby blue? This is kind of like that famous spiel Miranda Priestly gives Andrea Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada, in that fashion is more big picture than people give it credit for. And if none of that feels convincing, Rihanna also wore sparkling, baby blue separates when leaving her Met Gala afterparty, pictured above, so there’s always that. Here's six ways you can make the gelid shade your own.
Charli XCX wrote that the dress pictured above makes her feel like she'd be a good assassin, and I agree. Baby blue's softness isn't cloying, and paired with sleek boots and hair, it's adds edge to an otherwise hyper-feminine fit.
Workwear-adjacent clothing is having its heydey, which is fine, but ultimately problematic in its contribution to the fetishization of poverty aesthetics. But I digress! If you must indulge in it, an icy-hued jumpsuit is far enough away from the traditional color palette of the style and ultimately feels more aware. Carhartt's streetwear division Work In Progress have you covered with a matching jacket and pant set in a muted dusty blue.
NYC DJ and GHE20G0TH1K provocateur Venus X goes soft with an oversized, ruched coat. Layered over black and worn with inky, PVC and leather accessories, it's a light hue that works in harmony with goth sensibilities.
NYC designer Kim Shui really adheres to the more is more mindset when it comes to her designs, and it always turns out to be stunning. In a shimmering baby blue, her velvet jumpsuit stays true to her maximalist tendencies, all with ruffled edges and sashes that are theatrical and striking.
Take a cue from actress Zendaya and make sporty apparel like a white tee and biker shorts instantly angelic by layering with a flowing dress. All the staples of comfort are there, and baby blue makes it ethereal-as-hell.
See-thru tops are part of summer culture, so get on board. Baby blue works with both the modest end of the spectrum — like Kehlani's choice of a nude top underneath — while bolder types can benefit from a more risqué approach with peeking lingerie without looking too cutesy. May we suggest a little line called Savage x Fenty?
Thumbnail via sade_s2_riri's Instagram.