13 Royal Blue Dresses with Regal Flair
Observe French sports fans cheering on their national team, and you’ll be certain to hear chants of “Allez! Les bleus!” roughly translating as “Go, blues!” While the nickname of France’s soccer team was originally due to the color of the players’ uniforms, the call—and the color—have come to represent the nation of France itself, an association with deep historical roots.
Royal blue: A noble legacy
The deep yet vivid shade we know as royal blue has been associated with French royalty for over 450 years. Part of the French royal coat of arms since the 12th century, the color also appears in royal paintings, from portraits of Charlemagne to the Sun King Louis XIV.
The name itself, however, was coined not by the French but by Britain’s Queen Charlotte, the wife of King George III, when she commissioned a special-occasion dress to be made for her in royal blue.
Divine ultramarine
If members of royalty imbued the color blue with noble status, then the Virgin Mary brought its earlier sacred meaning. The shade was chosen by the Catholic Church for depicting St. Mary’s garments—perhaps due to its calming, serene effect or perhaps due to its high cost, which made it prestigious enough to honor the Queen of Heaven.
Centuries ago, the blue color pigment was rarer and more expensive than gold. The special shade was named “ultramarine” or “true blue,” a term that has come to mean loyal and trustworthy. The pigment was derived from the precious stone, lapis lazuli. The stone’s name means “Heaven’s stone” in Latin and the color’s name is “precious blue” (寶藍) in Chinese. This reflects its high value across cultures.
Because of the high cost, ultramarine was reserved only for the most important details of paintings. Raphael used it only for the top coat, painting the base coats in the more common azurite. Dutch painter Vermeer sunk into enormous debt by using too much ultramarine in his famous paintings, i.e. Girl with a Red Hat. Michelangelo’s The Entombment remained unfinished due to the rarity of the blue pigment.
Titian’s Bacchus and Ariadne was thus the epitome of luxury for painters, with his lavish use of ultramarine across vast swathes of blue sky.
The “golden blue” epoch came to an end in the 1820s with the invention of “French ultramarine,” followed by the development of more affordable synthetic alternatives. The vibrant shade of royal blue, however, remained an all-time favorite.
Today, the term royal blue is not restricted to a specific definition. It refers to any variation of a vivid, rich blue, and encompasses other shades like Ultramarine Blue, Prussian Blue, Cobalt Blue, Klein Blue, YInMn Blue, and others.
A royal blue dress to impress
A royal blue dress is a fail-proof choice for any formal event or occasion. The classic shade makes a timeless, sophisticated statement for a spring or summer wedding, whether as guest attire or as a wedding-party choice. Darker shades of royal blue will also capture the spotlight on a dressy night out.
Get inspired with these ideas for the season’s most beautiful blue dresses.
Classically Elegant Tweed Pantsuit
Evening-Ready Halter Neck Gown
Hand Embroidered Ball Gown
Pleated Chiffon Frock
Sophisticated Bell-Sleeve Dress
Playful Printed Dress
Glamorous One-Shoulder Dress
Polished Tux-Inspired Jacket
Elaborate Silk Kaftan with Crystals
Bewitching Empire-Cut Dress
Artful Pleated Plisse Gown
Retro-Inspired Mini Dress
Crepe Dress with Dramatic Lapel Back
Inspired for a Beautiful Life
