They are a great summer classic: here is a complete guide to wear stripes!

Let’s find out how to choose and how to combine them to create magnificent outfits …

HOW TO MATCH STRIPES

The most beautiful color to wear with stripes is red: whether it’s a shirt, a pair of trousers or a skirt … whether it’s a hat, shoes or just a belt …

A beautiful (and already sufficient) touch of red lipstick. But it has to be intense!

HOW TO WEAR DIFFERENT STRIPED PATTERNS

It may seem very risky, yet the combination of different stripes is easy and of great effect.

The secret is to leave the outfit very simple and clean, with tone-on-tone colors or at most with a touch of red.

STRIPES AND SOLIDS

Wearing the solids and stripes is obviously very simple and white is an helpful choice.

Bet on a shirt or a t-shirt, for a minimal look. Alternatively, a short top is delicious!

TOTAL STRIPES

Looking for any cute ideas to wear stripes from head to toe? Here are at least three: the summer maxi dress, the jumpsuit or the “pajamas“.

Remember to always break up the outfit with some accessories: a belt, a hat or a contrast jacket.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE BAG

Stripes are a great classic: it is not difficult to match with them some accessories. It depends more than anything on the context.

In town, an handbag or la eather bag is fine; on holiday the straw bag is wonderful.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE HAT

The choice of the hat depends on the context and the season too (but also on your face).

A fedora is perfect (made with straw in summer, in felt in winter), but the soul mate of the lines is always the Basque.

HOW TO WEAR STRIPES TO THE SEA

There is a reason if they are also known as marinière!

I would say that they are perfect for a beach look, indeed indispensable: let’s go crazy with colors, fabrics and combinations!

STRIPED SWIMSUITS

Obviously, swimsuits deserve a separate section, because stripes have a powerful camouflage effect …

Choose the horizontal lines to enhance the waist or the vertical ones to stretch the torso.

HOW TO WEAR STRIPES IN TOWN

Yes, I just said that stripes are a must have for summer and that they are perfect at the sea. But nobody forbids to use them in town!

The accessories will make the difference: décolleté, boots or sneakers will define the overall style.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT STRIPES 

Being an optical pattern, they perfectly suit to people with strong color contrasts: the identikit is light skin and dark hair.

If you do not have these characteristics, just prefer  red or light blue lines instead of the black or blue ones.

And pay attention to where you put them: remember, in fact, that vertical stripes lengthen, the horizontal ones widen!

More outfit ideas to wear the lines on my Pinterest Stripes wall.

I do not know about you, but I really want to go to the seaside now!

Rossella Migliaccio
Courses and Services on Italian Image Institute