“Something blue” means fidelity, love, and purity — the blue a bride carries is a small token of faithfulness on her wedding day. It’s the fourth line of a Victorian English rhyme that assigns a meaning to each item a bride is meant to gather:
Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpence in her shoe.
Here’s what each part means, why blue specifically, and how modern brides carry the tradition without it feeling forced.
The Full Rhyme, Line by Line
| Item | Meaning | Common modern version |
|---|---|---|
| Something old | Continuity — a link to family and the past | A relative’s jewelry, a handkerchief, a locket photo |
| Something new | Optimism and hope for the future | The dress, the rings, new shoes |
| Something borrowed | Borrowed happiness — luck lent by a happily married friend or relative | A veil, earrings, a bracelet from someone whose marriage the bride admires |
| Something blue | Fidelity, love, and purity | A garter, embroidery inside the dress, blue shoes, a sapphire, painted toenails |
| A sixpence in her shoe | Prosperity and good fortune | A coin (any) tucked in the shoe by the father or a grandparent |
The sixpence line is often dropped in the US, where the coin isn’t part of daily life, but it was central in the original — a wish for financial security in the marriage. Some brides tape a dime or a meaningful coin (a wedding-year quarter, a coin from a grandparent’s country) into the shoe as a substitute.
The “Borrowed” Line Is the One People Get Wrong
Something borrowed is specifically meant to come from a woman whose marriage you’d want to emulate — a happily married relative or friend. The idea is that you’re borrowing a piece of her good fortune. It’s not just “an item that isn’t yours”; the who matters. A grandmother’s earrings from a 50-year marriage carry the tradition’s full weight; a bracelet borrowed from a friend you don’t know is married carries less. This is worth knowing when you choose the piece — pick it for the marriage behind it, not just the look.
Why Blue?
Blue has carried associations with faithfulness, constancy, and purity across a long stretch of Western history:
- In medieval Europe, blue — not white — was the color most linked to purity and the Virgin Mary. Many pre-Victorian brides wore blue dresses for exactly this reason.
- “True blue” as a phrase for loyalty predates the rhyme by centuries.
- Blue dye was historically expensive and colorfast, so a blue garment signaled both value and permanence — it didn’t fade.
So “something blue” is a quiet way of saying I am constant on the day that promise is being made publicly.
Where the Rhyme Comes From
The earliest printed version appears in Lancashire, England, in the 1870s, though the individual customs are older. It spread through greeting cards and etiquette columns and reached near-universal recognition in the English-speaking world by the mid-20th century.
It was always a folk charm, not a religious or legal requirement — a checklist of small blessings a bride assembled from the women around her. That’s the part worth keeping: the point isn’t the four objects, it’s that each one connects you to a specific person who wishes your marriage well.
Modern “Something Blue” Ideas That Don’t Feel Gimmicky
- A sapphire. September’s birthstone doubles as “something blue,” and a small sapphire — earrings, a pendant, a stone set into the band — is elegant rather than novelty. (See Birthstones by Month for how brides layer stones.)
- Embroidery inside the dress — a date, initials, or a short phrase stitched in blue thread where only the bride knows it’s there.
- Blue sole or blue shoes — visible in photos, easy to source.
- A borrowed and blue item — a relative’s blue brooch covers two lines at once.
- A ribbon around the bouquet stem, often holding a charm — a locket, a stone, a family heirloom.
- A blue thread or bead sewn into the hem by your mother or a bridesmaid the morning of — the tradition’s DIY version, and free.
The trick is to let one object carry more than one line. A grandmother’s blue sapphire ring is old, borrowed, and blue simultaneously — three lines, one piece, one person.
Map your “old / new / borrowed / blue” around a single meaningful stone with the free Bride’s Birthstone Story — it gives you a primary stone, a bridal stone for the marriage, and where tradition says to wear each, so your “something blue” isn’t an afterthought.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “something blue” symbolize?
Fidelity, love, and purity. Historically, blue was the color of constancy and faithfulness in Western tradition, so a blue token is a private way for the bride to signal loyalty on her wedding day.
Where does “something old, something new” come from?
A Victorian English rhyme, first printed in Lancashire in the 1870s, though the individual customs are older. It’s a folk charm listing small blessings a bride gathers before the wedding.
Do you have to wear something blue for your wedding?
No — it’s a tradition, not a rule, and plenty of brides skip it or fold it into something else (a sapphire, a stitched date). If you like the symbolism, one small item is enough.
What is the sixpence in the rhyme?
A silver sixpence coin placed in the bride’s left shoe, traditionally by her father, as a wish for prosperity. It’s usually omitted in the US; a dime or any small coin is a common substitute.
Can jewelry count as more than one item?
Yes, and it often does. A borrowed heirloom that’s also old and also blue can satisfy three lines with a single piece.
Who should the “something borrowed” come from?
Traditionally, a woman whose marriage you admire and would want to emulate — you’re symbolically borrowing a piece of her good fortune. A happily married relative is the classic choice.
What if I don’t have family heirlooms to use?
The tradition adapts easily. “Old” can be a thrifted vintage piece or a book that mattered to you; “borrowed” can come from any happily partnered friend; “blue” can be a $5 ribbon. The meaning is in the connection, not the value.
A Small Charm, Gathered From the Women Around You
“Something blue” was never really about the color — it’s about assembling a set of blessings from your family and friends and carrying them with you. One stone, one stitched date, or one borrowed brooch can hold the whole rhyme.
Build your “something blue” around a meaningful stone with the free Bride’s Birthstone Story.
