The meaning behind navy blue
About the color
This hue received a significant name in AD431, when the Catholic church decided to ‘color code’ the saints. Virgin Mary received a dark blue robe along with her “queen of heaven” title.
In 1748, when the British Royal Navy adopted dark blue uniforms, “Mary blue” turned into “navy blue”. Throughout history, it became associated with the police and military forces. Not coincidentally, the UN peacekeeping troops are called “blue helmets”. The navy blue hex code is #000080.
However, as a color that represents trustworthiness today, navy blue is commonly used by global brands like Ford and Nivea.
| Type | Value |
|---|---|
| HEX | #000080 |
| RGB | 0, 0, 128 |
| CMYK | 1, 1, 0, 0.5 |
Application in design
“Everything and everyone looks good in navy,” says Kate Phelan, creative director of Topshop and contributing fashion editor at Vogue.
Navy blue is more forgiving than black, less harsh, and it carries a subtle sense of sophistication. It strikes out better than any other color and looks both classic and sharp at the same time.
Pairing navy blue with different shades of purple, green, yellow, orange, and red is a great way to create contrast in your designs.
