Photos: Diane Kruger & Olivia Palermo; Courtesy of instyle.com, starstyle.com.
Since Coco Chanel introduced Breton stripes to the fashion world, this print has become part of fashion history. This year, thanks to top designers like Marc Jacobs, this classic pattern takes major role again. Trends don’t simply repeat themselves, so let’s take a hint from today’s featured ladies above, learn how to give classic stripes a modern and unexpected twist in three simple ways:
Mix it with another on-trend print, either botanical patterns like this Balmain printed pants on Anja Rubik, or dynamic leopard print like those on Diane Kruger & Olivia Palermo above. The key to mixing prints is making sure they are in the same color family and with similar proportions. They should complement each other rather than compete.
Brighten up the monochrome look with a pop of color: For black/white striped clothing, try bright red, sunny yellow or cobalt blue; For blue/white stripes, since blue is a primary color, the other two primary colors yellow and red will complement it very well.
Last but not least, finish the look with modern or unexpected accessories. The menswear inspired Oxford, like that on Olivia Palermo, is a great example. If that’s not your thing, an oversized metal watch, leopard sunglasses or of-the-moment pumps will keep your ensemble up-to-date without looking overdone.
Dress: Dorothy Perkins (great style here; the designer version on Kruger is by Preen)
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff (reminiscent of Chanel 2.55, with a fraction of the cost!)
Shoes: Söfft (also here; $40 here)
Watch: Michael Kors (gold version here)
Belt: Cole Haan
Top: Oasis (great buy here & here)
Skirt: Tibi
Bag: Dooney & Bourke (featured here)
Shoes: Munro (also available here; $60 here)
Sunglasses: Karen Walker (similar here)
Bracelet: Reiss
