Ahoy there sailor! Spring has arrived and with it a fresh, clean wardrobe staple - the stripe!
This ever-stylish pattern can be so useful in breaking up an outfit in a smart, simple way and adds life to your ensemble without making it busy. Add a directional twist to your spring wardrobe with our timeless striped pieces.
This simple, chic top features a plaited rope trim neck detail and decorative contrast stitching on the side. Our Stripe Top is a fashion classic with its timeless style, making it one of our essential pieces for spring.
Elevate your daytime ensemble with this striking Jersey Blazer. Featuring a crinkle effect fabric, echoing oceanic waves, a full lining and gentle shaping, this versatile piece can also be paired with jeans for casual outfitting.
For a more relaxed style, this Striped Zip Top, with decoratively taped side slits in a soft and warm cotton blend, is the perfect piece to wear over your casual separates.
Inspired by the great Italian fashion house, Missoni, our Knitted Shirt Jacket features flattering chevron stripes in harmonious colours for a sophisticated take on stripes.
Stripes throughout history:
The simple stripe has a fascinating history: in medieval times striped clothing was reserved for criminals and other undesirable factions of society. Despite this negative beginning in our culture, stripes soon rose to the height of fashion as the rakish young men of society adopted them as part of their costume as a rebellion against the established order. These medieval trend setters brought stripes into the realm of the fashion world.
Stripes continued to live on in clothing as they were a cheap way to create interest in cloth and they enjoyed a revival when Queen Victoria dressed her son in sailor stripes, which popularised them and could then be seen on gentlemen's trousers and ladies' dresses. Another important factor in bringing stripes to the forefront of the fashion world was the Industrial Revolution, which made the production of stripes even easier and cheaper with factory looms.
Cue the birth of the Breton top: the striped top is made an official part of French naval uniform in 1858, firstly, as apparently the stripes made men easier to spot if they went overboard and secondly, the number of stripes on the top are said to represent the 21 Napoleonic victories against the British.
Chanel (of course) brought the Breton tee a fashion staple in 1917 when she included it in her collection after summers spent in France (although some contend that an American couple Gerald and Sara Murphy were the first by providing them to their influential guests to wear when they visited).
Since then it has been the go-to item for classic chic, from Marilyn Monroe to Kate Middleton, with designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier ensuring it remains on the catwalk.
Which striped piece do you like from our collection? What would you wear it with? We would love to hear from you - let us know by leaving a comment using the box below.
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