Fresh and Forward in Stripes

There will always be enduring traditional patterns that breathe into style time and time again. The most simple of patterns, stripes, makes a comeback this warmer season with a fresh take on how to wear it.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

There will always be enduring traditional patterns that breathe into style time and time again. The most simple of patterns, stripes, makes a comeback this warmer season with a fresh take on how to wear it. Designers are crafting beautiful ways to keep the staple pattern fresh and forward this season. French fashion house Lanvin, directed by Moroccan-born Israeli designer Elber Albaz, created several beautiful stripe pieces this season. The first is a cross halter navy and bronze striped dress. The stripes stack in un-uniform numbers and vary between thick and medium. The stripe paneling of the dress doesn’t match up, giving the dress more depth.  The same fashion house also drafted a beautiful thick vertical stripe black and white blazer with peaked lapels: opting for a colour matching but oppositional horizontal cami underneath. Transitioning to a younger style, American favourite, Marc Jacobs, executed a beautiful full length silk black and ivory dress, with stripes increasing in size. Going for a more whimsical take, Swiss fashion label Akris crafted a royal blue, black and tan striped jacket with a lifted collar. Thai-American fashion designer Thakoon went for a more feminine approach, crafting a bright pink and tan, high-necked linen dress as well as a more beach appropriate lime green and ivory v-necked dress. American singing starlet Taylor Swift has been fanatical about stripes this past season, choosing a variety of different compositions. This year, she wore a red and white striped top for her performance at the MTV movie awards. She also donned a beautiful silk Kate Spade orange and pink holiday dress for an advertisement, and has been seen in a navy and white thick stripped full skirted dress while shopping, as well as following a 1950’s look with a striped shirt, sunglasses, and scarf in her hair. Her accessory for stripes? Anything red: whether it’s lip colour, a purse, shoes, or a scarf. Celebrity couple Diane Kruger, a favorite fashionista of the column, and Joshua Jackson were seen in blending striped shirts, opting for a more casual look. And Rachel Zoe, fashion stylist for the stars, designer of her own line, and new time mom, wore a full length zig-zag sweater on a recent outing with her child, also dressed in a striped onesie. The best way to wear stripes this season is to think about their width. Do not wear a shirt with thin stripes: that falls into the nautical theme that became popular several seasons ago. Think big thick stripes: and stripes of varying widths throughout the piece. It’s also helpful to stay away from cotton fabrics, but to try to make it more luxurious: silks, satins, and linens. That’s the fashion scoop for this week. Got a thought? Trend? Style you hate? Send it my way.