There is a lot more to the legendary stripes than meets the eye….

There’s the history of the French Navy… moving on to the fashion diktats and the faux pas of not so fashionable stripes and then the variety of stripes a man can indulge in to flatter his form.

Once we have that covered, the only thing that every man must know & abide by, are the 5 cardinal rules of stripes:

Rule 1: Vertical over Horizontal: Stressing once can never be enough…Vertical is a perfect choice for most men unless you’re already too tall then vertical might not be the best option for you. It is a double-edged sword…. you could either look dapper or sloppy….

However, there is the whole go by the body structure rule as well…

Rule 2: Body Structure:

• For the triangular-shaped man: narrow on the top with an increasing waistline, we recommend vertical stripes as it tends to give a slim and elongated look.
• For the inverted-triangle shaped man: You’re probably the perfect embodiment of a ‘V’… a body that most men would secretly covet and women desire. Broad shoulders and a chest and slim hips and waist call for patterns that accentuate your perfect body. You can dare to ensnare with horizontal stripes, which will also help broaden your waist.
• For the rectangle-shaped man: These are usually tall, thin men might even be called athletic. They usually possess same sized shoulders and waist & hips width wise. Such men look good with horizontal stripes as it tends to add width to the shoulders.

Rule 3: The Colour: The ‘Colour Wheel’, one whose name isn’t taken in vain as it plays an integral role in making or breaking a persona if not followed right. So, we need to remember a few things when choosing a striped shirt. Try and always stick to lighter hues, especially those that match your skin tone – irrespective of whether it’s vertical or horizontal. And avoid complementary or contrasting colours.

Rule 4: The Size: The general thumb rule is to keep it thin. Very rare is the occasion when thick stripes are a welcome fashion offing. Thin stripes are also best for formal & business occasions while wider stripes for more casual settings… and even then, not too wide – less than an Inch is what you get.

Rule 5: Stripe on Stripe: Gone are the days when you couldn’t stripe up your attire…Today it’s not considered a faux pas to walk in with a striped ensemble provided you know what works. What you do need to remember is that the stripes cannot be the same, so ensure that your both articles of clothing possess stripes of different weight (wide striped tie with thin-striped shirt), different cuts – a diagonal-striped tie with a vertical striped shirt, and the colours should not be complementary or contrasting.

With this you now have a complete guide to striping up your wardrobe!