Sorry, Polka Dots—Stripes Are Fashion’s Favourite Print

From the parasols littered along the coastline of the Côte d’Azur to the perennially chic Breton tops that serve as a cornerstone of a French woman’s wardrobe, stripes are synonymous with summer dressing for the most discerning tastemakers amongst us. (Think: Jackie Kennedy on a yacht moored in Martha’s Vineyard, Lee Radziwill along the Amalfi Coast, Brigitte Bardot on the set of Jean-Luc Godard’s French New Wave Contempt.)

Still, stripes haven’t been treated with the same reverence that polka dots have, often being regarded as a dated contemporary compared to this beloved print trend. However, it appears to be a palpable shift in the sartorial landscape, with stripes swiftly usurping spotty motifs as the style to relish this season. Be it balloon shorts or T-shirts, stripes are dominating across every category, elevating wardrobe basics with sleek horizontal lines and multi-coloured hues.

Though perhaps once maligned in mundane settings, the runways have heralded the return of stripes with a vengeance, with Matthieu Blazy devoting a core part of his debut collection at Chanel to striped tweed sets and Miu Miu reminding everyone how crucial a striped long-sleeve can be in adding contrast to a look.

“Stripes have an extensive history in fashion,” explains Lucia Hanna, the co-founder of fashion brand With Harper Lu, whose striped mini dresses, tank tops and skirts have become such a coveted style this summer. “Everything always makes a comeback,” she acknowledges before adding that stripes are one of the classic styles that “will stick around for a while”.