The Most Wanted · Summer Trends
The Colourful Stripe
Summer's answer to the blue jean — the joyful, sun-bright stripe that makes getting dressed feel like a holiday.
Summer's answer to the blue jean — the joyful, sun-bright stripe that makes getting dressed feel like a holiday.
There is a certain kind of woman who, come summer, retires her blue jeans entirely — and reaches instead for the stripe. Not the quiet navy Breton, but its louder, sunnier sister: the colourful stripe, in candy pink, marigold, cobalt and lime.
It began, as these things do, on the runways. Versace brought the irreverence of Miami in the eighties to the catwalk in bold, vibrant bands; Dolce & Gabbana showed them pyjama-easy and elastic-waisted; Missoni, of course, has been the house of the stripe for half a century; and Loro Piana proved the trend could whisper as richly as it shouts, in quiet striped linen. It was Loewe's sun-drenched pre-fall campaign — deckchair stripes against stacked loungers — that sealed it as the print of the season.
But it landed most gloriously in the hands of Barcelona's La Veste, the label from Maria de la Orden whose parasol-striped trousers, in a dozen joyful colourways, became the single most-photographed piece of the summer. Alongside it, a whole cast of cool-girl houses — La Ligne, SIR., Rosie Assoulin, Lido, DESTREE, Emporio Sirenuse — have made the colourful stripe their signature. The fashion set calls it dopamine dressing. We simply call it the fastest way to look like you are on holiday, wherever you happen to be.
Below, the colourful stripe in every form: the trouser that started it, the short for the hottest days, the dress that needs nothing else, the shirt to tuck and knot, and the skirt and knit to complete it. Loud, joyful, and devastating in its simplicity.
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The trouser is where it all began — the colourful stripe's hero, and summer's chicest alternative to the blue jean. La Veste leads with its cult parasol and Pippi styles in cotton and sequin, while La Ligne, SIR. and Loro Piana bring the elevated wide-leg, and Missoni the mesh knit. Pair with a plain white tank and flat sandals, and let the trousers do everything.
For the hottest days, the stripe goes short — tailored enough for the city, easy enough for the beach. La Veste brings the sequin and the Harbor stripe, Lido the sunny poplin. Wear them with a linen shirt untucked and slides, and call it a look.
The striped dress is the one-and-done — throw it on, add a sandal, and you are finished. Ilio Nema and Emporio Sirenuse bring the ikat-striped Mediterranean maxi, Lido the halterneck, Posse and Cala de la Cruz the easy mini, and Marrakshi Life the ruffled slip. Effortless, colourful, and made for a warm evening.
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The striped shirt is the grounding piece — tuck it into the trouser, knot it over the swimsuit, or wear it alone as a dress. La Ligne and Lido keep it crisp poplin, DESTREE and Emporio Sirenuse bring the ikat and blouse, and Missoni the metallic crochet-knit for evening. The most versatile stripe you will own.
And to complete it — the striped skirt and the striped knit. DESTREE and Rosie Assoulin bring the pleated and poplin midi skirts in sherbet shades, while Zimmermann's crocheted cardigan is the throw-on for a cooler evening by the sea. The finishing notes of a colourful summer.
Every piece in this edit, by the houses behind it. Explore them all.
Retire the blue jean for a season — and let summer be loud, joyful, and striped in every colour.— ESVRA