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.
