Vintage Must-Have: Breton Stripes

by the sea...

Warm weather is here and what better way to enjoy that than running around in a striped top and capris? Often taken for granted, let's look closer at the Breton Striped shirt and where it came from.

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First off, what are Breton Stripes? This classic navy and white stripe evokes 1950s Audrey Hepburn, French sailors and chic Parisian style. 

Originating in France in 1858, it was actually introduced by the French government to help identify seamen who fell overboard. The shirt was originally known as the mariniere or matelot, being the uniform for all French navy seamen. Gradually it was associated as a working garment, due to it's main wearers being seamen and sailors.

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Coco Chanel (see below) was inspired by this simple look and integrated it into her 1917 nautical collection. A stark contrast to the association of seamen and working class, the Breton stripe had a new life in the bourgeois fashion of the Riviera. This style lasted well into the 1930s, often paired with a cravat, blazer and slacks or shorts. 

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In the 1950s and 1960s it was picked up by the Beatnik subculture and other communities.

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Many iconic celebrities through the decades are seen in this timeless look including James Dean, Cary Grant, Brigitte Bardot, Marlon Brando, Twiggy, Marilyn Monroe, The Beatles, Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol! (To name a few)

Clearly, this timeless style is a vintage fashion must-have to look chic this spring!

--Amanda at Brentwood Lane