Guess what? Sailor stripes are back! Do not eye roll. I know, I know. Rocket science it ain’t and as seasonal trends go, summertime stripes are as predictable as LBDs in December and floral prints in spring.

OK, so there’ll always be a slight design twist here and a stylish switch there, but let’s be honest, whether you refer to it as Riviera Chic or Nautical; from deckchair to breton stripes, in essence we’re talking Captain Birdseye, innit?!

What gives any trend its ‘newness’ is that subtle (often simple) shift in attitude and who better to illustrate this than Coco Chanel.

Ever since Gabrielle Chanel stepped out in Breton stripes, fashion has continued to romance sailor chic.

Before that moment, the look was more of a regal, maritime influence that high society would wear. It then trickled down to swim bathers and stiff sailor suits, usually worn by children.

It’s thanks to Chanel’s fresh and casual approach to the seafarer look, that the catwalk has continued to seasonally nod to all things nautical.

Think Westwood’s pirate theme or Ralph Lauren’s preppy yacht and resort wear. For many it’s become their signature style…

If you follow me on Instagram and are familiar with my blog posts, I’m all about trying to buy less and shop better. I’ve written about my ‘no spend’ challenges and when it’s worth splurging on designer.

In a society that seems to constantly encourage us to BUY, BUY, BUY, before you think this ‘sensible’ way of shopping sounds really boring, it isn’t!

Whenever I’ve done a ‘no spend’ ban, I’ve discovered that I get more creative when having to shop my existing wardrobe.

When you’ve worked as a Fashion Editor for as long as I have (nearly 20 years in the biz!) you always need to call nautical something new. And never ‘Nautical & Nice.’ *bleurgh!

So, for the purpose of this post, I’m going to refer to it as School Stripes because when I showed it to Mr Husband, he said these were his school colours!

FABRIC

In terms of the composition it’s linen which means a) it’ll keep you cool in summer b) it’s low maintenance and the creases add to the slouchy, casual vibe of the outfit.

SIZE

I’m a size 10/11 but bought a size 12 originally as it’s meant to be loose fitting. However, it was quite baggy around the bust. While the great news is that you can wear a bra underneath and totally unseen; what with it being linen, the worry is that it might stretch. So, I downsized it for the 10.

FIT

It was a little snug around the hips at first but it’s now loosened up and fits just fine. I’m 5ft 6 and the hem finishes right on the midi magic line. It has pockets – nuff said – and the belt is detachable so why not swop it for a bright yellow or brown one instead? You’ll game-change the look entirely. Have a play. I know I will.

STYLE UP

I’ve teamed it here with a navy H&M captain jacket that I picked up in the sale last year for £24.99. If you see spot anything similar that fits you really well, my advice is to snap it up! It’ll serve you season after season.

WORK IT

Finally, satin pink bow flats from ASOS (old season, but try Mango and Zara for similar) finished off the look but I’m also going to team it with Swedish Hasbeens to give it a more 70s vibe and a pair of white Stan Smiths will equally give it a fresh upgrade, too.

What do you think?

Are you on board? (Couldn’t help it! Sorry!)

Want some more ideas? Then check these out, too…

Thank you for reading! Simply scroll down to comment below xoxo