Icy blue is the fashion colour for now, these 8 chic pieces will add luxury to your style, from £26

If you’re wondering what to buy for spring to help you feel polished and look fashionable, we have news.

It’s not an item, it’s an item in a specific colour. Better still, anything you buy in this shade is guaranteed to give you and everything you wear with it a stylish lift.

That colour is a light airy blue. M&S call it Icy Blue and recently cited it as one of their colours of the year. The global colour prediction company Pantone calls it ‘Dutch Canal’. So far this spring, items in this elegant and refreshing neutral have been selling out almost as soon as they land in stock.

Today, though, that changes, thanks to spring deliveries from Next, John Lewis, & Other Stories and Nobody’s Child arriving in store and online, each with practically perfect pieces in this versatile, expensive-looking shade of blue.

John Lewis’ 100% linen T-shirt in this soft shade of blue, and M&S cotton rich short sleeved spring knit are perhaps the easiest updates you can make now. I also love the prettiness of Next’s smocked cotton top with broderie detailing, and & Other Stories’ chic, modern ruched top.

Wear any one of these tops with jeans or trousers in a shade of cream, natural linen, chocolate brown or white, and you instantly tune into the fashion mood for 2026. It doesn’t get easier than that.

This shade of light blue works as beautifully as a spring dress; take H&M’s cotton broderie midi, which is easy and quietly romantic. For occasionwear, Nobody’s Child’s Symran dress will come into its own at weddings and garden parties. And for something chic yet easy to wear and style, & Other Stories’ cap-sleeved cotton poplin midi has modern classic written all over it. A dress so good, it’s on my own shopping list.

If you want to try this colour before going all in, try it as an accessory first; Next just released a pair of light blue mesh ballet flats, ideal to wear with jeans or one of spring's spring's pretty floral dresses.

Trust me on this, though. One item in this airy, fresh and chic hue and your wardrobe will look lighter, brighter and more luxurious.