Spencer Cashmere Sweater
Cobalt
#1C4FD6
Cobalt
A Bright Winter color
Cobalt
anchor color 10 of 10 in Bright Winter. Also called Clear Winter in other systems.
By Kathleen Olsen · Updated November 11, 2026
- Hex
- #1C4FD6
- RGB
- 28, 79, 214
- HSL
- 224°, 77%, 47%
Cobalt is blue at full volume. Pure, cool, and saturated, with enough light in it to read as a color from across a room. It is the Bright Winter blue, the one that makes black look like a background rather than the point.
Where it sits
Cobalt is an anchor color in Bright Winter. The nearest color on the same side of the warm–cool line is Sapphire #0F52BA, a Deep Winter color, at a distance of 19: close enough to mistake for it on a hanger, far enough to tell apart on a person.
The Winters divide their blues by brightness. Deep Winter's sapphire is darker, True Winter's cobalt is a little greyer, and Bright Winter's cobalt is the clearest of the three. At RGB 28, 79, 214 it has nearly eight times as much blue as red and very little grey. Nothing in it is softened.
On a Bright Winter it does what the palette is for, which is contrast. Cobalt against black, cobalt against bright white, cobalt with hot pink for anyone who can carry it. It should be worn in solid blocks. Prints mute it and the muting is the problem. It is a good color for a coat, a knit, or a single sharp accessory.
Retailers call it cobalt, royal blue, electric blue, or bright blue, and they use those names across a wide range. The test is whether the blue looks clean next to a bright white. If it does, it is in range. If it looks slightly dusty, it belongs to a softer season.
Easily confused with
The nearest color is Bright Winter's own electric blue, sixteen points away and brighter still. Deep Winter's sapphire is nineteen points off and darker. All three are cool saturated blues and a Bright Winter can wear any of them. The mistake is a royal blue with warmth in it, which is a Spring blue and reads slightly green next to this.
The nearest named colors in other seasons, by perceptual distance (ΔE in CIELAB; under 10 is hard to tell apart on a screen, over 25 is a different color).
Sapphire #0F52BA
Deep Winter anchor · ΔE 19
Cobalt #1F4FA8
True Winter anchor · ΔE 28
Sapphire #1C3F94
True Winter anchor · ΔE 29
Cool violet #5B2A83
True Winter anchor · ΔE 34
Warm periwinkle #7C8FD6
True Spring anchor · ΔE 47
Blackened navy #102A56
Deep Winter anchor · ΔE 56
In stock in this color today
As of November 11, 2026, 7 in-stock pieces across STAUD and Boden sample within a close match of #1C4FD6. The dot on each card is the color we sampled from the garment itself; trust it over the photograph. Links are affiliate links: we earn a commission when you buy through them, at no cost to you.
What it's sold as
Retailers almost never use the palette name. These are the color names on the in-stock pieces that sample within a close match of #1C4FD6 today, so they are the words to search for.
- STAUD
- Cobalt, Beach Lady, Blue, Atlas
- Boden
- Bright Blue
A retailer's name for a color says nothing about its undertone. "Navy" at one shop is a True Winter color and at another a Spring one. The sampled dot on each card above is what we trust.
Questions
Is cobalt a Bright Winter color?
Yes. Cobalt (#1C4FD6) is an anchor color in the Bright Winter palette. No other palette on the same side of the warm–cool line has a color near it, which makes it a reliable test for the season.
What is the difference between cobalt and electric blue?
Light. Electric blue, as the Bright Winter palette uses it, is lighter and more vivid. Cobalt at RGB 28, 79, 214 holds a little more darkness. On a shop floor the names are used for both, so go by the garment.
Can a Deep Winter wear cobalt?
Yes. Deep Winter's sapphire is nineteen points away and a shade darker. Cobalt reads a touch bright on a Deep Winter, but it is cool and clear and pairs with black the same way.
Can a Bright Spring wear cobalt?
Sometimes. Bright Spring's blues carry warmth and cobalt does not, so it can look a little cold. If the rest of the outfit is warm, a cobalt accessory usually works. Near the face it is a closer call.
What colors go with cobalt?
For a Bright Winter: black, bright white, hot pink, true red, icy pink. Cobalt with black and white is the simplest version and the strongest.
The Bright Winter guide · All in-stock Bright Winter pieces · ← Lemon-ice white · All colors