True blue: fashion tips from Thatcher

Feeling blue? You're not the only one. But unlike Januarys gone by, these start-of-year blues don't concern the darkened skies and empty pockets of late. As Meryl Streep strode down the defiantly blue carpet of the Iron Lady premiere last week wearing a long navy Lindsey Thornburg coat, Margaret Thatcher and her Tory blues cemented the cool colourway as the hottest shade of the moment.

Both women - the original and her cinematic doppelgänger - are unlikely style icons. But just as this month sees Streep become the oldest person ever to grace the cover of US Vogue, so Mrs Thatcher with her commitment to her party's mono-palette has become the catalyst for a true blue trend.

The fashion pack were on Mrs T's sensible kitten heels ahead of the film's release, with British designers Peter Pilotto and Stella McCartney featuring structured jackets and straight leg trousers in vivid colbalt in their spring (resort) collections. A sea of blues followed on the spring/summer catwalks, ranging from Hermès's demure culottes and shoulder-padded jacket combination to Preen's navy belted shift and a host of polite knee-length skirt suits at Fendi, Giorgio Armani and Marni.

The choice of colour is not the only factor in channelling the iconic prime minister but the cut, too, as designers seek to translate the look. When it comes to the blue hue this season, knees and elbows remain firmly under wraps, shoulders are big, waists small and outfits are teamed with simple court shoes and topped with bouffant blow-dries.

Proving that Maggie fever isn't just limited to the catwalks, Tory-friendly handbag designer Anya Hindmarch revealed a Thatcherite makeover to her shop windows before the weekend, with mannequins in Marks & Spencer and Aquascutum sapphire suits, prim waved wigs and classic Ebury handbags on display.

On the small screen, the mid-blue crew of Pan Am, with their high-buttoned jackets, streamlined pencil skirts and white cotton gloves, instantly glamorised Sixties workwear late last year and paved the way for the cornflower hue to blossom well into next season. The January blues aren't so bad after all.