This print makes your outfit look instantly more expensive
The Breton stripe (you know, that classic marine look) has become just as established as a trench coat or white blouse. French women seem to be born with it. I understand where that comes from. It has something effortless, something expensive-looking, something that makes it seem like you spontaneously own an apartment in Paris.
Stripe Up Your Game
Stripes are a print that we actually keep falling back on every year. And rightly so. It is stylish, classic, and gives even the simplest outfit an instantly more luxurious appearance. Grab a low-waisted jeans with flip-flops, throw on a striped top, and bam: you look like you just walked off the boulevard of Saint-Tropez. While in reality, you just did your grocery shopping at the Appie and quickly pulled something from the closet.
Optical illusion
Let's talk about the power of stripes. Because did you know that (besides looking good) vertical stripes make you appear longer and slimmer, while horizontal stripes add width? Handy to keep in mind when you want to subtly guide your silhouette.
From forbidden print to fashion favorite
What many people don't know: stripes used to have a completely different reputation. In the Middle Ages, they were worn by people who fell outside the norm. Think of jesters, criminals, and other outcasts. Stripes were seen as chaotic, deviant, and even suspicious.
Only in the 19th century did that stigma slowly disappear, and the print made its entrance into the fashion world as we know it today. Fortunately, because nowadays it's hard to imagine that something so chic was ever seen as controversial.
Why the marine look?
The link between stripes and the marine look doesn't come out of nowhere. Striped shirts were originally worn by sailors. Not only because it was recognizable at sea, but also because striped clothing was practical to produce. Especially red-white and black-white stripes were popular because those colors could be woven separately without the dye running into each other.
Stripes remain a hit
The fun thing about stripes? They never completely disappear from the fashion scene. One season they are preppy, then French, then completely coastal chic or old money coded.
A striped knit over your shoulders, a classic Breton top on denim, or a striped boxer short peeking out above your trousers. But don't be mistaken: stripes don't have to be tame or basic at all. It's the mixing that makes it exciting. Combine them with polka dots or checks, wear horizontal with vertical, or play with thin and wide stripes together.
You can also go in all directions with color. Let a shade from your striped top reappear in your socks, bag, or ballerinas, and your outfit immediately feels thought-out. A striped long sleeve under an oversized T-shirt creates that nonchalant cool girl look. Or tie a satin scarf around your waist or loosely around your neck for those Parisienne feels.
And now that we've discussed all these advantages, this shopping list is filled with the cutest striped shirts, long sleeves, blouses, and sweaters to add to your wardrobe now.
