Blue is the colour that works hardest with a scarf. There is something about the combination, a good blue dress underneath something printed, textured, or boldly coloured around the neck, that looks considered without looking like you tried too hard. We have been thinking about this specifically, the occasions where a scarf is part of the outfit rather than an afterthought, and what you actually want to be wearing underneath it.

The answer, consistently, is blue. It gives the scarf room to be the thing you notice first. Navy grounds it. Cobalt amplifies it. Powder blue softens it. Every shade plays differently but none of them compete, and that is exactly what you need when you want the whole look to feel intentional.

We have pulled together our favourite blue dresses with this pairing in mind. The cuts that sit well under a scarf worn loose around the shoulders. The necklines that let a tied scarf do something interesting. The lengths and silhouettes that make the whole outfit feel like it was organised rather than assembled.

Blue does not fight for attention. It earns it quietly.