By: Cori Sue
Fashion confession: I own six navy-and-white-striped pieces. My closet’s sailor parade includes a long-sleeve tee, a three-quarter-sleeve tee, three tank tops, and a t-shirt dress. There may even be more, but that’s what I can think of off the top of my head.
Fashion bloggers are currently chirping that nautical will be “in” this spring. But, I protest, nautical has never been out! In fact, the striped tee emerged in 1858 as the official garment of the French navy and has been worn by just about everyone, including Pablo Picasso, James Dean, Lauren Hutton, Cary Grant, and Edie Sedgwick, since then.
Recently, J.Crew started selling the classic striped tee, remade by its original creator, Saint James, the French company that’s been designing their classic “Breton tee” since 1850.
Photo credit: J.Crew
While I was dying for a Saint James tee, upon trying it on, I discovered the fit wasn’t for me. I know it’s supposed to be loose and drape-y, but it just didn’t work on my figure. Thankfully, along came Chance, a fashion house led by former Kate Spade creative director Julie Leach, who, of course, is half French.
Chance brings us a multitude of striped choices – boatnecks, crewnecks, short sleeve, long sleeve, tank dresses, polo dresses – in several stripe options, including the classic navy-and-white. Be still, my beating heart.
Photo credit: Chance
A navy-and-white-striped tee pairs well with practically anything: jeans, white slacks, pencil skirts of nearly every color of the rainbow (red, pink, yellow, green, orange) and of course, khaki. It even works with a multitude of patterns, believe it or not. So, get your hands on this closet anchor as soon as you can.
[...] while I love, stripes, polka dots, sequins, animal prints, and abstract florals—color blocking has always seemed odd to [...]
[...] I’ve adopted from my mother that, by no choice of my own, that I simply cannot escape. A love of navy and white stripes. A penchant for polka dots. A burning passion for color coordination. A tendency to pile on the [...]