One of the many wardrobe challenges for executive women is how to look fresh and current without becoming a fashion victim. (Dynasty-style shoulder pads, anyone?) Fortunately, one of the all-time classic looks—nautical stripes—is also expected to be one of the biggest trends this spring. It’s a great time to incorporate the look into your office attire, if you haven’t already.
Stripes always seem to show up in spring styles. However, this year the focus is on the French sailor stripe first popularized by Coco Chanel, also known as a mariniere or Breton stripe. Christina Binkley had a great article on the origin of the look in a recent issue of the Wall Street Journal.
The original sailor shirt was a narrow navy or marine horizontal stripe against a white background. The best 2010 versions of this style keep the same pattern but add a greater variety of colors.
Here are ideas on how best to use this trend in your professional look.
1. Executive wardrobe versions. A top or possibly a cardigan is the safest and most versatile way to go. Stores are also beginning to show dresses, skirts, pants, and even jackets in nautical stripes, but Ms Incognita has yet to see any versions that are office appropriate. Think about:
- Sleeveless or short sleeve tops in a fine knit under a jacket. This is the look that works in the broadest variety of workplace settings—jaunty but also professional in the office and polished enough (in the right knit and with the right accessories) for the board room.
- A cardigan version over a plain tank for a more relaxed yet polished workplace.
- A three-quarter sleeved version worn tucked into trousers or worn loose over slim pants for a casual offsite or other work setting.
2. Color. To maintain the nautical feel, the background color should be white (very crisp and clean) or off-white (a more authentic vintage look). Stripes in shades of blue, red or yellow have a jaunty feel. Black stripes are more formal and graphic. Beige or gray stripes are very versatile, working with a lot of different shades (black, charcoal, brown, or navy) that are already in your core professional wardrobe.
3. Detailing and accessories. Some things to think about:
- A nautical striped top that uses gold buttons as a decorative embellishment has a polished look.
- A three-quarter sleeved version also looks more polished and office-appropriate than a long-sleeved version. If you already have a long-sleeved top, it’s a quick and inexpensive fix to have your tailor hem the sleeves.
- A long necklace (or several) and a status watch or heavy bracelet will dress up a casual top that you are wearing on its own.
- A small solid or polka-dot scarf twisted and tied around the neck will give you a casual but stylish look.
4. Shopping resources and challenges. Here’s where it gets tricky. While nautical stripes will be all over the place this spring, only a few versions will work with professional wardrobes. In addition, those versions are likely to sell out quickly. Both manufacturers and retailers are keeping inventories low. They would rather sell out of an item than risk the cost of carrying unsold merchandise.
What does this all mean for you? If you see a nautical stripe top that works, your best bet may be to buy it immediately rather than vacillate too long. Ms Incognita recently learned this lesson the hard way when she decided to think twice about a perfect but pricy nautical stripe top. By the time she went back to the site a week later, the top was sold out in several sizes. Perhaps a blessing in disguise given the price of the top, but Ms Incognita is still wistful!
Here are some of the websites and stores you might want to start haunting if you’d like to buy a nautical stripe top.
- Big-name retailers. The women’s fashion director for Saks is quoted in the Wall Street Journal article as promising a large selection of striped styles starting in February. A recent scroll through the Saks site showed a tank by MaxMara and a long-sleeved top by Tory Burch, both in nautical black stripes. Hopefully the selection of office-appropriate versions will continue to grow. For those of you who want to add something interesting to your jacket collection and are willing to pay the price, Neiman Marcus has an Armani charcoal stripe cardigan with a structured look that could work well with a black or gray pants or skirts.
- Net-a-porter.com. This site currently has a great (but pricy) Chloe navy stripe tank with gold button detailing. Some sizes are already sold out, so you’ll have to move fast. Net-a-porter adds new stock every Monday and Wednesday, I believe, so it’s worth checking back regularly to see new selections.
- Brooks Brothers. They have some dress shirts as well as short-sleeved sweaters with the nautical stripe vibe.
- Talbots. Some sweaters but no tops yet
- Saint James. This is the French company that has made the authentic nautical stripe shirts since 1850, and as you can imagine, they have a wide selection of styles and colors on their site at www.saintjamesboutique.com. The striped T-shirts in combed cotton, while a little casual in their styling, would still work fine under a jacket (but not in the board room). The versions in carded cotton are a little stiff in their feel and wouldn’t work with most suit jackets. On their own, however, they could be appropriate in an office casual setting. Be aware that sizing runs larger than the norm. The X-small version that Ms Incognita ordered would be considered a small or even a medium in other brands.
Hope this gives you a good start. Ms. Incognita will alert you if she sees great office-appropriate versions of this trend. Be sure to share what you find as well! And stay tuned for more posts on office appropriate versions of spring 2010 trends.
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