Earning Your Stripes

Stripes have marched their way back into men?s fashion. Easy to wear and pleasing to the eye, you?ll want to adopt stripes into your wardrobe for this season and beyond.

Vertical vs. horizontal

It?s well known that horizontal stripes make you look fat while vertical stripes make you look tall. The well-proportioned man can afford to wear stripes in either direction. If you?re exceptionally short, fat, tall, or skinny, you need to be mindful of the direction of your stripes. You don?t want to accidentally accentuate an aspect of your body that you?re not happy with. Stripes can also have a corrective effect. While putting on a vertical striped shirt won?t suddenly make you look 8ft tall, it will make you appear slightly longer than you are.

Size matters

Also important is the width of your stripes. Thick stripes will make you look smaller, while thin stripes make you look bulkier simply because there are more of them. If the stripes are, say, thin and horizontal, the overall effect will make you look much wider than you are.

The striped shirt

A striped shirt is a fool-proof way to nail the look. Vertical stripes look best, especially if they are small stripes that are incorporated into the weave of the material rather than printed on.

The striped cardigan

Stripy cardigans can either be super trendy, or make you look like an old man. The key to getting it right is in keeping the rest of your outfit stylish and modern. This will make it clear that you are wearing the cardigan on purpose.

The striped sweater

A few simple stripes on a jumper can make an otherwise plain outfit so much more interesting and fashion-forward. The best aspect of striped sweaters is that it doesn?t matter as much what kind of stripes you are wearing, as a sweater is not tightly fitted.

The striped shorts

Get nautical with a pair of striped shorts. Stripes are a bit much for pants, but fortunately shorts don?t contain as much material. Pair it with boat shoes and a cotton tee shirt, and you?ll look like you?ve been relaxing on your private yacht all day.

Stripy accessories

A striped accessory is a perfect way to wear the trend without being too committed. Belts are particularly good, as they are uncommon and subtle but still make your outfit much more interesting. Fedoras, scarves, and even socks can all be improved with stripes.

How not to wear stripes

Too much of a good thing can be awful. Double stripes are never a good idea. It doesn?t matter if the patterns are completely different or perfectly matched; only ever wear one striped item at a time. That includes accessories. You might think that you?re being coordinated by pairing a stripy belt with a stripy shirt, but it rarely looks good.