I love stripes. Always have. At 6, my favorite dress was a white Florence Eiseman with a red stripe down one side and a blue stipe down the other. And as an adult, one of my go-to pieces is a stripe sailor’s shirt from Saint James, the same company that made the blue and white Binic II sweater first made famous by Coco Chanel in 1917. Designers having been riffing on stripes ever since.
Worn by stye icons such as Audrey Hepburn and Brigitte Bardot, and artist Pablo Picasso, a man definitely known for having a good eye, stripes aren’t just fashionable. They’re also fun. And this summer, stripes are everywhere. Here are some of my favorites:
Saint James Stripe Tees
Saint James has been producing stripe sweaters and tees for the past 150 years. And let me tell you, they know their stuff. As someone with a large chest and not a flat stomach, t-shirts can often be the bane of my existence. I need one that’s heavy enough to hide my lumps and bumps without being bulky. The Saint James Galathee Nautical Stripe Tee is the perfect solution. Available in a wide variety of colors, these shirts look great with everything – jeans, white pants, a pencil skirt. And they last forever. I have a yellow and white one that I’ve had for over a decade.
Stripes Are Not Just For Casual Wear
I recently discovered a new clothing line called La Ligne that’s right up my alley. The designers are just as obsessed with stripes as I am. Only available on their website and Net-a-Porter, the 50 piece line is a stripe lovers paradise. And while many of the pieces are best suited for casual wear, their Bardot dress would look great with flats for a stroll through town, but throw on some fabulous heels and a pair of snazzy earrings, and you’ll be the life of the party.
Accessories Go Stripe
Everywhere that I look this summer, there are stripes. These stripe shoes from Bally combine two of my favorite obsessions: comfortable footwear and classic stripes (Psss… they also come in red).
And this mini Eastham Bitsy Bag from Dooney & Bourke is darling, incredibly reasonable and right on trend.
I couldn’t talk about stripe accessories without mentioning my favorite brand, Workshop/CoOp. Each hand woven bag is not only fabulous in its own right, but with every purchase, a donation is made to the United Nations to support refuge women and children. Cute, functional and good for the world — how perfect, right?
