Naomi Watts, Helen Hunt Stun in Blue at Palm Springs International Film Festival

There are a lot of shades of blue, and a lot of names for them: cobalt; electric; navy; ocean; sky blue: periwinkle blue; indigo. And for the last year or so, every one of them has paraded down a runway or turned up on a carpet somewhere.

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The night of Jan. 5 at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, two of the biggest female stars present -- Naomi Watts and Helen Hunt -- both wore sailor blue, a hue somewhere between deep ocean blue and sky blue. It's not cobalt -- it's a bit lighter than that and not as flamboyant. It's a calm, peaceful color, and it's not wildly attention-grabbing. It’s flattering but not overwhelming.

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Watts (The Impossible), the most fashion-forward honoree at the fest, donned a sailor blue flowery Roland Mouret gown that was soft and pleated with a slight belt -- but not tight and fitted (like most Roland Mouret gowns). It flattered her eye color, her softly waved blonde hair and her dangly Cartier earrings. (Cartier has been a sponsor of the fest for years.)

Meanwhile, Hunt (The Sessions) -- who did interviews adjacent to Watts -- wore a very similar shade of blue in a Michael Kors halter, a soft but fitted gown (a new trend this year?). Her hair was waved in a similar fashion. Who says blondes aren't smart? When actresses start to consider what the most flattering colors for their hair and skin tone are, and make subtle but novel choices, you know they're really getting it.