Do Stripes Belong In Fashion Jail?

Veronique Branquinho, Paris Fashion Week.

I’ve always been mixed on stripes. There are many strikes against them before you’ve even put them on, each direction (vertical or horizontal) presenting their own unique set of potential problems. That list, in no particular order:

Vertical Stripes:

1. You might look like a referee. Nothing against refs; just not a look you want to cultivate off the field.

2. You also might look like you’re on break from your job at the mall, at either the Foot Locker or TGI Friday’s, which if you aren’t, is a problem.

Horizontal Stripes:

3. Ever hear of a mythical cartoon gent that goes by the name of Where’s Waldo? Enough said.

4. You look like you’re on the lam, and no one wants to harbor a criminal.

5. Stripes pulling the eyes across your body do just that: widen your aspect ratio. Not something to do on purpose.

6. Stripes scream nautical, which is OK if that’s what you’re going for. On land, I’m just not a fan of this look.

So what does one do? Play it safe and avoid stripes altogether? Most designers threw caution to the wind and sent a line of stripes down the runways: Moschino, Acne, Alexander Wang, Marc Jacobs and Veronique Branquinho are just some of the collections that focused squarely on stripes.

Marc Jacobs, in particular, striped surprising silhouettes and sequins, ensured that his designs won’t end up on the worst-dressed lists:

I am now officially inspired to try on stripes for size. Watch this space for what I find. And hopefully, if you happen to see me, you won’t order boneless wings or ask for the Nike Air Max in a size 8.