Blue

So your favourite colour is Blue, right? 

Do not be surprised if the answer is yes. It is statistically proven that more than 40% of people across all cultures prefer blue, a big advantage compared to those who would choose any other hue, like red or green. Psychologists would explain that it is due to its association with calmness, trust and stability. 

Take a blue suit for example - it has become the staple of reliability and professionalism. And yet on the opposite side of formality, a blue pair of jeans is everyone’s favourite casual item. 

Blue is associated with royalty—and, by extension, with formality. The Royal Navy chose dark blue as its staple colour and as a result navy blue got it's regal name. Going to attend a formal event? A midnight blue velvet jacket will hit the sweet spot of subtle elegance. 

But did you know that blue is a rare colour? - “Hang on a minute: the sky is blue! And what about the oceans?” - I hear your cry, I feel your surprise! I had the same reaction myself. But here is what the divine wisdom of the internet explained to me: you couldn’t distil blue from the sky or the ocean to colour a drawing, or to paint your bedroom! (and I thought I was clever) 

Blue pigments are extremely rare in nature. Most surprising even, birds and butterflies with blue feathers and blue wings, are not actually blue. They appear blue to our eyes due to microstructures in their body that refracts light in a way that reflects only the blue hue back to our eyes. That’s why these animals have an iridescent quality: as we view from different angles, the refraction of the light gives a slightly different hue. Isn’t nature a wonder!

It is perhaps due to that scarcity that in antiquity there was no word for blue. Ancient Greeks didn't have a word for it - Homer refers to the sky in reference to metals like iron or copper. Egyptians were the first to create a synthetic pigment of blue, by mixing and firing natural materials such as sand, copper and lime.

Centuries later, ultramarine blue was created by pulverising lapis lazuli, an expensive semiprecious stone extracted in the mountains of Afghanistan. That made blue a very precious colour in art, reserved for limited use on royal paintings or holy figures, like the cloak of the Virgin Mary. 

The first affordable synthetic blue was discovered accidentally in Berlin - while attempting a new method to produce red. The irony! As such, Prussian blue was born and revolutionised the use of blue in art since.

In today’s digital age our options are unlimited. And blue remains the colour of calmness, stability, reliability and formality. In a world where traditional masculinity is weighed down by these traits, it’s no surprise that blue has become the defining colour of menswear.

BLUEMATERIALS springs from the qualities, traditionally associated with blue, while trying to challenge some of the rigid conventions. It is looking for a more playful version of menswear styling, and a quiet confidence that is not prejudice to other hues. 

I am excited that you have joined me on this journey. 

Wear a Piece of Inspiration

Follow the link below to explore our Collection of Pocket Squares: 

BLUEMATERIALS COLLECTION | Luxury Silk Pocket Squares

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