Fashion trend: Stripe tease!

Stripes are a timeless fashion staple, and irrespective of the season, they blend well in different themes. They are a huge trend each summer, and 2016 is no exception. Dip-a-toe in this trend and experiment with different stripes ranging from mod zigzags to bold sailor motifs that are dominating the runways globally. “From chunky stripes to an ultra-skinny railroad version, we’re witnessing this style throughout the world, probably because it’s basic enough to pair with other prints or bold colours, but it feels a little more unique than the standard stripe we’re used to,” says fashion designer Karn Malhotra.

The general rule of thumb with stripes is that vertical stripes create the illusion of height, while horizontal and broad stripes create the illusion of width and thin stripes have a slimming effect, points out fashion designer Pria Kataaria Puri.

She puts forth, “This season, however, there is an influx of stripe styles from the iconic Breton and the diagonally striped repp to timeless and classic awning and more. Nautical stripes are often seen popping up in the summer and resort collections. Asymmetric, Chevron style stripes, barcode style and pencil stripes are some of the latest trends.”

Stripes are storming the spring/summer 2016 runways in every style you can possibly imagine — horizontal, vertical; thick lines and super skinny ones too. Fashion designer Rajdeep Ranawat says, “Stripes are the simplest form for creating geometry in clothing, and especially when someone wants to deviate from ornate or floral prints or patterns in their ensembles.”

Stripes are versatile and can easily fit in casual or formal wear. “Especially if the stripes are used in the right manner, the most popular trend is the nautical or resort wear trend. Resort wear is cool and comfy and stripes are mainly used in various thickness in verticals with a palette of blues, reds, whites or yellows mainly. These can be coordinated with solids in terms of pants, shorts, skirts or even as sundresses. Teaming them up with striped espadrilles and jute accessories can take the cool quotient a notch above,” adds Rajdeep.

Break the monotony of monochromes and add a dash of colour to your stripes, suggest experts. “Horizontal and vertical stripes on ribbed jerseys or billowing silks for evening wear and pin stripes on fitted silhouettes work great. Generally, people like to stick with monochrome for stripes, but feel free to add colour to your look. Layering goes well with stripes. You can complement solids with stripes. If you are feeling experimental, try different types of stripes in the same ensemble,” says Pria.

Suggesting the right choice of stripes for different body types, Karn says, “Vertical stripes are great for petite women and those with more curvy figures as they elongate the body and draw the eye up and down, rather than side to side. Thin or pin stripes can also have a slimming effect, while bold, thick stripes can draw the eye to the wrong places.”

Adding to this, Pria cautions: “A tall and slender body type can easily carry broad vertical stripes in the form of fitted body con dress or crop tops. For an apple or pear shaped body type, stick to vertical stripes or pin stripes.”

The beauty of stripes lies in the fact that it’s available in a mixed bag of colours, widths and directions or angles. “Play around with the colours and widths. Break the outfit and mix it with solid colours. Go ahead and add a little punch to your wardrobe,” says Karn.