THURSDAY: ROYAL FLUSH

WEARING A BLUE STREAK!

Ah . . . ROYAL: One of my favorite hues of all time (perhaps it was because I was on a soccer team called the Royal Chargers as a child, and was fortunate enough to wear knee-high blue tube socks and a royal tunic at least once a week?)!

Bold Blue has been on the fashion radar for some time, and though it has been joined with more “rad” (read: 80s) hues like turquoise, royal is still going strong. I LOVE it as an accessory. I still wear my Botkier patent multi-blue bag from last spring with pride.

Burberry went blue-crazy, with this gorgeous trench and ruched sheath combo. Love the pairing of different monochromatic hues.

Louis Vuitton took the boldest step of all, opting for the sheerest royal chiffon pants. A swimmingly beautiful alternative to the legging!

But it also works as PRIMARY (get it?), like with this gorgeous, shimmering floor length Douglas Hannant gown. I am a devotee of the strapless dress, and this is a true stunner, expertly draped, with a billowy skirt and just the right amount of frothy blue fabric to envelop and showcase a fantastic figure.

At Salvatore Ferragamo, the entire runway was blue this Spring, as were many of the garments. Behold, this bluelicious minidress with just a hint of sparkle (at left). Perfect for cocktails on the yacht, non?

Jasper Conran and Jason Wu (at right) offered more demure takes on the Devil in a Blue Dress. Conran's royal sheath is perfect for the office or for cocktails, and Wu's deep-V off-the-shoulder dress has a lovely day wedding vibe. I adore that both of these dresses are cinched at the waist with delicate belts -- ladylike glamour at its finest.

Eley Kishimoto did an edgy take on the rugby stripe with this chevron striped jacket and full skirt combination, complete with blue bandanna (see bottom right).

Since royal blue apparently appeals to the masses (recall Meryl Streep’s Anna Wintour-esque

character in the big screen version of The Devil Wears Prada elucidating the genesis of the bargain bin blue sweater . . . ), it can be found on the cheap!

Take, for example, this adorable little frilly button-front short sleeve blouse from Forever 21 for less than twenty dollars (see forever21.com)!

As the Grand Finale (Blue Ribbon!), I give you this Zac Posen Ibis Silk Gown, at left, available at Net-A-Porter.com.

Fashion Credits: All images courtesy nymag.com/fashion, unless otherwise noted.