Is AQUA BLUE the new TREND of fall 2026?
[There it was, the prettiest little daisy ever. We were laughing as I picked it up and handed it to our mom maybe… It was sunny but chilly outside, as I was wearing a hat. I took my brother by the hand and stuck my other hand in the pocket of my aqua blue denim jumpsuit. The way the colour just dazzled in the sun was my favourite thing in the word. and I remember being a summer girl since I was a baby and it was this blue that made it feel as if summer and the sea were never-ending in my life and aways an arm away. Of course it wasn’t so… but this feeling of summer calmness and warmth would always accompany me whenever I wore aqua blue, only to later realise it had become my favourite colour. To this day I still have a soft spot for it.
35 years later I was in some outlet shop in my hometown just randomly and a little bit boringly (but never quite so, as I adore clothes) scrolled through racks of pieces as I was waiting for 20 minutes to pass before I picked up my daughter from school that day. In a sea of basic un-impressing colors there it was: the most beautiful aqua blue jumpsuit. I gasped. Outloud. It wasn’t denim (thankfully so) but this beautiful blended linen silk fabric, with a cinged waist much like my reminiscent piece from circa 1987. As I took it off the rack all I could pray for was please god make it be S or M. It was the latter. Bigger than what I needed but that only meant long enough to fit the torso of my 5’10 height. I tried it on. It was long, cinged waist, fit like a glove and had pockets. God was a fashionable woman after all.
Serendipity hit a second time after, with yet another piece in aqua blue. Another jumpsuit, Jesus Christ. Less luxe but still cute. And I’ve worn both for the past couple of years regardless of how cool or uncool this color was to the fashion world. I’ve stood the test of slight eyebrow raises from a few fashion ignoramuses when I chose this colour for a day event, in a sea of blacks and camel dresses. I had my hand in my pocket just like little me did a few years back. That felt weirdly powerful to me.]
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So what is it about aqua blue? Is it just me, OR is there something special that has finally caught the eyes of designers? It’s quite an unusual colour for autumn to say the least. However, alongside brocade, lace, velvet and the heavy fabrics of autumn, turquoise too has that inherent decadence of vintage decor, an oversaturated dark Art Nouveau living room of velvet red couches and turquoise heavy curtains.
Aqua blue on the runway fall 2026 was magnificent: from coats, to gloves, evening dresses and fur collars it was spectacular. Leather turquoise is stunningly dramatic and sexy. Boots in this colour feel fun and powerful. Colour in fact rules this autumn, with hues that stray away a lot from the classic blacks and browns of the season. So we’re seeing a lot of red, mustard, orange, purple, and surprisingly aqua blue.
While past trends saw this colour here and there, especially for spring and summer what is different in 2026 is the styling. What use to be Barbie like outfits of summer, or 2000’s Paris Hilton in Juicy Couture aqua blue, or Brittany Spears in tiny cropped aqua blue tank tops with rhinestones on them is now more polished and grown up.
Turquoise is a statement and one that breaks on otherwise simple outfit, or one that clashes with other trendy pieces of the same outfit.
For example a basic black pair of linen pants that hang low on the hips paired with a slightly loose very simple turquoise top looks absolutely simple yet very 2026, where form and uncomplicated clothes take over our daily style choices. A tote bag and a pair of ballet flats or boat shoes and it’s a great simple look.
The opposite has turquoise coats, jackets, pants and dresses as the main characters of an outfit.
A few tips to keep in mind when wearing aqua:
- it looks amazing against zebra print
- it’s stunning paired with silver jewellery
- keeping accessories minimal looks more polished
- a dated look is aqua paired with white. an updated look is aqua paired with red for example.
When dressing in aqua blue or turquoise the key is to think more 90’s rather than the 2000’s, more grunge and simple rather than glamorous and elegant.
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Street style:
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Other than that have fun cause that’s what fashion is all about. At least in 2026 fall.
xoxo D.
