Forget navy, Gwyneth Paltrow just made a case for pairing red with sky blue, and it's surprisingly chic
Her clever colour blocking trick makes styling these trending spring tones together a breeze
A classic colour pairing, when it comes to spring/summer dressing, navy and red is a preppy combination you can always rely on. But Gwyneth Paltrow, style queen that she is, has made this chic tweak to a red and blue colour palette, and it's the perfect trending twist on this timeless combination.
Attending her daughter Apple Martin’s graduation from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, she wore a red collared jacket over her sky blue Tory Burch poplin tank dress. Swapping navy for sky blue, one of the biggest fashion colour trends for 2026, Gwyneth instantly updated a blue and red palette and gave it a very warm-weather feel.
Recreate Gwyneth Paltrow's Blue And Red Look
Like Gwyneth's Tory Burch dress, this one from Karen Millen is made from a lightweight cotton poplin material for a summer-ready look and feel. Its pale blue shade is so similar, too, with a neat and tailored silhouette, creating a versatile style. that you can dress up or down.
The boxy fit of this jacket makes it the perfect shape to recreate Gwyneth's flattering outfit with. A neat collar and structured design give it a more polished finish, and while it's great with dresses, it's also a chic spring jacket to wear with jeans. The red hue offers a lovely contrast against pale blues.
With a low block heel and simple, strappy design, these red heels work for everything from smart casual outfit ideas to what to wear to a wedding this summer and are ideal if you're trying to do some red colour blocking too. They're available in a wide width, too.
This ethereal light blue hue is the perfect shade to pair with bold red tones this season. The classic shape of this dress also making it a great base on which to layer contrasting jackets like Gwyneth's boxy style. An elegant ankle-length, it's an ideal buy to wear with comfortable sandals.
A lightweight quilted fabric gives this design a decidedly spring-ready appeal, with its boxy shape, neat collar and faux tortoise shell buttons adding a refined and polished edge to the design. The quilting gives it added warmth for breezy, bright mornings.
With LifeStride's 'soft system comfort technology' providing extra cushioning and support, these kitten heels are a practical as well as stylish addition to elevated outfits. The red hue is so striking, as is the unique, strappy design.
If you’re looking for new colour combinations to make your wardrobe pop this spring, sky blue and red make for a super vibrant pairing. Gwyneth ensured the contrasting hues felt cohesive and directional by paying attention to balance, book-ending the colour with a red jacket and red shoes. No matter which contrasting hues you’re styling together, this is a great tip to follow.
The blue and red combination works especially well this season, as fire engine red is quickly becoming one of the biggest colour trends of the summer, as is sky blue, and it makes a welcome change to preppy and nautical-inspired navy and red palettes.
Despite its bold colour, red does often act like a neutral, pairing easily with other timeless hues, such as white, black or beige and Gwyneth's styling here only reinforces how versatile red is, as it pairs beautifully with sky blue too.
