Barberstripes

French evening dress from 1865 Straw Hat with Striped Bow, c. 1914I adore stripes with a passion. I find them so cheerful they instantly put me in a good mood. These days though they seem to go in and out of style, and are most often related to the nautical look – hence the yo-yoing of fashion.

In centuries past they have been very popular too. Obviously the weavers threw subtlety out the window – who wanted pinstripes when barberstripes* were possible?

And the dressmakers weren’t shy to put them to good use either. In the late 18th and 19th centuries big dresses were all the rage, and stripes weren’t used just for trim: the entire gown was boldly striped. You couldn’t possibly make a bigger sartorial statement (literally and metaphorically). These pink and red numbers in particular made me gasp. Amazing.

*My own term, signifying stripes wide enough to put a barber’s pole to shame.

Bustled gown, c. 1885Robe retroussée dans les poches, c. 1780 FranceRobe à la Française, 1778–1785