A neutral, without the edge of black or underwhelm of tan, Navy is nautical, classic, business casual. Its rich tone plays well with others without being overly dramatic or morbid. Crisp when paired with white, it complements a stark palette while softening the edges, just a touch. Add a pop of color to navy and you get excitement without trending towards neon or appearing brash.
Navy says confident, not overly worried about trends, understated, calm. It belongs in the military, nursery, spa, couture, and X-Games. Navy ages well, moving into preppy vintage territory versus sad grey or stained vanilla.
My love of Navy began as rebellious opposition to the Polo Green preference of my Ralph Lauren generation parents. To this day, my mom levies for adding green to my preferred palette, which consists of shades of blue, set off by the occasional aged charcoal or unexpected colorful art.
I’ll never forget the quiet color battle of my young adult years, which ended with my parents bringing home a dark green Wrangler when my first big purchase was meant to be blue. The car also lacked air conditioning, much to my chagrin and leading to years of melting makeup, but I digress.
Navy is my husband, who prefers it paired with gray and a Patriots’ logo, purchased from Costco. Navy was my first work uniform, introducing me to sexism, in the form of required shorts on female employees. The color of my world-traveled backpack, wedding invitations, first home front door, and my consulting business logo.
Interior design and fashion often feel unimportant in the grander scheme of life. However, our style choices have a place in our personal history. Beyond the archaeological significance of our color preferences, experiencing joy from our choices is important, and projecting an image that is intentional does lead to connecting with others that resonate with what they see. Many of my design clients are drawn to me by their mutual love of this blue hue.
So let my love affair continue on, unabated by the latest craze, as I settle into the comfort of middle age and come to terms with my preference for the steadfast.
But if you catch me romanticizing the rose-colored days of my youth, holding up the sepia-toned 70s era as proof of a better generation, please gently remind me of my love of Navy, the timeless classic, so I don’t forget, to be neutral.