What do you wear to announce your resignation? This summer – one where resignations of one kind or another seem to be an almost daily occurrence – the answer comes in the kind of colour that is reassuring and familiar, but bold and bright too: a nice midblue, possibly with a bit of grey it it.
This is the colour that both Nigel Farage and David Cameron chose, and that Boris Johnson wore on the day he bowed out of the Tory leadership contest. Roy Hodgson’s was a bit more inky for his final press conference as England manager but still on the same spectrum. A blue suit – less navy than mid, but definitely not sky – is the not-going-down-without-a-fight choice for right now.
It’s not just for those putting on those brave faces, and looking to the future. Blue (although largely associated with the Conservatives) is like the Brexit of fashion, a cross-party concern. Yes, Andrea Leadsom has been wearing a lot of blue jackets in her bid to beat Theresa May to become the next Prime Minister but David Miliband, a man who knows his suits, has been wearing a smart mid-blue one since 2014.
It’s international too: Hillary Clinton and Angela Merkel are both fans of the midblue jacket. In the world of politics, where formal is still the standard dress code, colour is your friend. Midblue is assertive enough to stand out but it’s not going to raise any eyebrows. It’s also got Hollywood approval: Eddie Redmayne’s the patron saint of midblue – it contrasts very well with the red carpet, after all.
Of course, this isn’t a new thing. Blue’s association with politics dates back to Margaret Thatcher in the 80s (and beyond), when she made a blue skirt suit and pie-crust blouse a signature look to portray a sense of power and buttoned-up suburban respectability at the same time, right from her election victory in 1979. Her resignation speech outfit in 1990, though? A red suit. Make of that what you will. Right now, blue is the warmest colour but, for the next round of resignations – cough, Corbyn – things might be turning red again.
