If you know me or have read some of my articles or seen pics on Instagram, you might already know how much I love summer stripes! What exactly are summer stripes, you might ask? To me, they envoke the most magical memories of summer – days by the pool or beach under a striped umbrella, lounging on a striped pool towel, maybe even in a striped swimsuit. For some reason, stripes always give me “south France” vibes. Hence, I named them summer stripes. Many people love them on beach accessories or home decor, but fear that wearing stripes will actually make them look larger. The reality is, when styled correctly, they can actually have a slimming effect.

Summer stripes allow fun and a sense of play on the beach, in our homes and even in our wardrobes. Stripes are the perfect opportunity to go a little bolder and play with color. You may choose a wide stripe or narrow (both can be flattering), but when you choose green, like I am wearing here, you get a more elegant, classic look. Maybe you will pick pink, and have a more fun, preppy look. You might even opt for multi-color! I know what you’re thinking…”Multi-color? I’ll look like a hospital candy striper.” Again, if they’re done right, you won’t! In fact, I have a white dress, with very thin stripes in a range of pastel colors that I bought in Italy and it’s a dress that always gets compliments. It’s actually very chic.

The key to wearing summer stripes is to keep the rest of the look paired down. If you add a natural purse, a cute sun hat and a neutral shoe, you’ve got the perfect ensemble – whether you are going to the beach or going to brunch. A summer sandal to match your summer stripes is a must and right now I am loving Ipanema for the ideal summer shoe. Their sandals come in all styles and colors, they are a great price, they’re lightweight, they’re perfectly paired with any ensemble and maybe best of all – they’re waterproof. So as you don your summer stripes you don’t have to just dream of walking near the water, you can actually walk right into it.

Dress: FLS Apparel   Sandals: Ipanema   Purse: Croatian Souvenir   Hat: Loft   Paddelball: Ipanema   Photoshoot Location: Gilmore Car Museum

See more summer stripes in these posts: 1, 2, 3

Signed with Style,