Stripes are one of those evergreen prints that will never go out of style. Plus they can be super flattering. And, if you need another reason to wear them, they’re very much on trend this season. In this article, we will show you all the chicest striped clothes and accessories we’ve found, as well as how to put together your striped outfits.
Why we love stripes
There are so many reasons to add stripes to your closet. These are just some of them.
1. stripes are never out of style
Stripes have been worn for centuries. First, they were worn by the ‘outsider’ and as part of uniforms. But they’ve come full circle and are now an absolute classic. From the sailors of the French navy to iconic striped designs by Chanel, stripes have a timeless appeal that transcends trends. If you invest in stripes, you can be sure it’s a pattern that won’t date.
2. Stripes are figure-flattering
Stripes can help to balance out your silhouette or can make you look taller and slimmer.
Tanasha @letsrecreatethelook above opts for a beautiful red and white outfit.
Recreate her outfit with this similar top, pants, sandals, handbag and earrings.
3. Striped outfits bang on trend
While stripes are always in style, they are particularly on trend right now, as you can see in our round up of trends for 2024.
4. Stripes look great with denim
Stripes are easy to combine with any kind of denim for a relaxed but hip casual look.
Shirt from H&M (similar options here and here), skirt from H&M (other options here and here), similar sneakers and sunglasses
What to think about?
Because stripes are so effective at balancing out your silhouette, you can be really strategic about how you wear them. For example, wear horizontal stripes to create width, and horizontal to slim and add length. If you’re pear-shaped, for example, you can wear stripes horizontally across your top to balance out wider hips.
Who should wear them?
Everyone! Stripes look fantastic on all body shapes. They can be particularly good for rectangle shapes as the stripes mirror the athletic shape of your body. It’s all about how you wear them for the most flattering effect.
Shirt from H&M (similar options here and here), jacket from H&M (another option here), cargo pants from H&M (another option here), similar sneakers, sunglasses and fedora hat
which style personalities are stripes good for?
You can adapt the way you wear your stripes to fit into any style personality. But they work especially well for classic and preppy styles.
Alison @wardrobe_oxygen above (read her style interview here) shows how you could mix your stripes.
Check out this similar dress, 2-pc set or this top and skirt that you can wear with this similar pair of sandals, bag and earrings.
Stripes on the catwalks
There were stripes of all different colors and all different directions on the catwalks for this summer season, so you can be sure every type of stripe is on trend. Just choose the stripes that look best on you.
Louis Vuitton – Bottega Veneta – Chanel
Striped outfits
Now let’s move on to look at some of the most stylish stripes we’ve found in stores.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15
Striped tops
Starting with tops, you really can’t get any more classic than a striped shirt. But we love the fact that rag & bone had given the classic striped shirt a twist with the overlapping hemline. We also love the way that Proenza Schouler has combined the feel of stripes with tie-dye, and the little twist at the waistline from Tanya Taylor.
Plus, while you might think stripe is a choice of horizontal or vertical, diagonal stripes are also a great choice because they have an asymmetric feel and draw the eyes down and across, creating a visual slimming effect.
Proenza Schouler White Label Finley Stripe Tie-Dye T-Shirt – Tanya Taylor Jacobs Striped Knit Top – rag & bone Indiana Striped Twisted Shirt – Tanya Taylor Imara Striped Tie-Waist Long Sleeve Blouse
Carmen @carmen_gimeno above shows how you can mix your stripes with other patterns. You’ll find more advice on print mixing in this article.
Steal her look with this similar shirt (another option here), pants, sneakers, handbag and sunglasses.
Striped jackets and cover-ups
Adding a striped jacket or cardigan is a great way to update your jeans and t-shirt outfits. You can go as subtle or as bold as you want with your stripes. You could also think about a striped caftan as a swimsuit cover-up or to wear over your tank top and shorts on vacations or warm days.
J.Crew Collection Linen Blend Tuxedo Blazer – NIC+ZOE Fringe Knit Cotton-Blend Jacket – ba&sh Massimo Striped Cotton & Wool Cardigan – Vince Oversized Stripe Cotton Caftan
ba&sh Massimo Striped Cotton & Wool Cardigan – Cinq à Sept Kylen Ruched Jersey T-Shirt – L’AGENCE Ruth Mid-Rise Slim-Straight Jeans – adidas Grand Court Alpha Cloudfoam Sneaker – Think Royln The Original Crossbody Bum Bag – HSWE Statement Collar Necklace
pants and jeans
Striped pants are fantastic for creating a leg-lengthening effect, and you can opt for whatever color or shade best suits your figure. For instance, pear-shaped women can go with dark-colored pants with a pale stripe. Inverted triangles can do it the other way around, where you will want to balance your body out to create width at your bottom half. Stripes also work well if you are petite and want to create the illusion of height.
FRAME Le Crop Striped High-Rise Cropped Boot-Cut Jeans – FRAME Le Slim Palazzo Bardot Striped Pants – Loulou Studio Enyo Stripe Linen-Blend Pants – Simon Miller Jabber Striped Wide-Leg Pants
Cinq à Sept Kylen Ruched Jersey T-Shirt – Simon Miller Jabber Striped Wide-Leg Pants – Bernardo Goldy Sandals – Longchamp Le Pliage Marinière Recycled Nylon Canvas Travel Bag – Madewell Droplet Hoop Earrings
Striped dresses and skirts
A striped dress or shirt is perfect for vacations. Look out for shirt dresses and full skirts. We also love the way that the Tanya Taylor dress (below) uses stripes in different directions for a stylish effect.
J.Crew Striped Cotton Poplin Midi Dress – Tanya Taylor Cody Striped Sleeveless Dress – J.Crew Pleated Skirt – Marie Oliver Sasha Striped A-Line Midi-Skirt
Cathy @themiddlepageblog above (read her style interview here) opts for subtle stripes with her belted green and blue dress, and adds a blazer over her shoulders. This outfit would be perfect for summer events.
Check out these dresses from Knitss, Staud, Tanya Taylor and Amazon that you can wear with this similar blazer, sandals, bag and sunglasses.
shoes
You don’t have to wear stripes on your clothing. Instead, you could update your outfits by adding a pair of striped shoes. You can opt for any style, whether you prefer sneakers, sandals, or loafers.
Aerosoles Pastel Wedge Sandal – Dolce Vita Halley Loafer – AMBELIGHT Striped Pump – adidas Grand Court Alpha Cloudfoam Sneaker
ATM Anthony Thomas Melillo Matte Silk Charmeuse Top – L’AGENCE Ruth Mid-Rise Slim-Straight Jeans – Dolce Vita Halley Loafer – Tory Burch Ella Print Tote – HSWE Statement Collar Necklace
accessories
Or, add striped accessories to your existing outfits to update the looks you already have from your closet. Look out for striped tote bags, clutches, and scarves. Or, combine two big trends in one by choosing a baker boy hat with stripes.
Tory Burch Ella Print Tote – Longchamp Le Pliage Marinière Recycled Nylon Canvas Travel Bag – Kurt Geiger London Medium Kensington Convertible Crossbody Bag – Nordstrom Tissue Print Wool & Cashmere Wrap Scarf – HSWE Statement Collar Necklace – Lauren Ralph Lauren Tortoise Shell Hoop Earrings – Brixton Fiddler Baker Boy Cap – Burberry Caroll Checked Square Sunglasses
J.Crew Striped Cotton Poplin Midi Dress – Dr. Scholl’s Shoes Felicity Too Block Heel Sandals – Kurt Geiger London Medium Kensington Convertible Crossbody Bag – Lauren Ralph Lauren Tortoise Shell Hoop Earrings
What to wear with stripes
You can mix and match your stripes. Wearing stripes in different widths and different directions is particularly effective. But it’s unlikely that you want to dress completely in stripes. Below are some classic ‘basics’ that you can wear to partner with your stripes. Look out for flattering jeans, as well as other trendy clothes such as cargo pants.
Cinq à Sept Kylen Ruched Jersey T-Shirt – ATM Anthony Thomas Melillo Matte Silk Charmeuse Top – L’AGENCE Ruth Mid-Rise Slim-Straight Jeans – Hudson Jeans Cotton Wide-Leg Cargo Pants – Think Royln The Original Crossbody Bum Bag – Dr. Scholl’s Shoes Felicity Too Block Heel Sandals – Bernardo Goldy Sandals – Dean Davidson Nomad Drop Earrings – Madewell Droplet Hoop Earrings
Kim @kimair above (read her style interview here) puts together an unexpected and super stylish striped outfit. Note how she teams a striped blazer with a graphic print t-shirt.
Check out these blazers from Boden and Amazon that you can wear with this similar tee, jeans, peep toe sandals, handbag and earrings.
Your striped outfits together in one capsule
Below, you can see the striped outfits from above together in one capsule, so you can see how easy it is to mix and match stripes and put together many different outfits. For example, you can pair any of the blazers with any of the pants, the pink striped shirt with the white cargo pants, or the tie-dye stripe t-shirt with the black striped pants.
shop the best stripeD outfits in stores now:
Continue reading:
- Stylish Graphic Print Outfits To Create A Hip, Modern Look
- Modern Florals: Floral Outfits And Dresses To Wear This Season
- How To Print Mix Black And White Outfits
Like this article on how to wear stripes? Share it on Pinterest!
Feature image by Alison @wardrobe_oxygen
Sylvia is 40+style’s editor-in-chief and has been helping women find their unique style since 2011. An alumni of the School of Color and Design, she is devoted to empowering women of any age to look and feel their best. Read more about Sylvia and 40+style on this page.
Want to get more articles from 40+style in your inbox, subscribe here.
You can also connect with 40+style on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest.
Support 40+style by using the links in our articles to shop. As an associate for Amazon and many other brands, we receive a small commission (at no cost to you) on qualifying purchases which enables us to keep creating amazing free content for you. Thanks!