le stripe

The calendar says summertime is here but I am still thinking back to my time in Paris this past March and waiting for my friend Monica to give me the latest report from there with what is new on the streets this summer.  Its sounds like Paris is similar to us right now, as we in the Pacific Northwest are still in the days of summer sun one day, and clouds the next.  Can you say layers?
In the meantime, layers aside, I have to say I always love to introduce stripes into my wardrobe as the weather warms up.  There is something so classic, so cool, so optimistic about the stripe.  It can take on a nautical feel, a Parisian girl look, an update your closet needs as desperately as new white tees every year.
I know that the striped shirts are a must, but lets get to those in a minute.  I want to talk striped skirt here, and I know those words can invoke nearly as much fear as "swim suit", especially among those with a curvier figure.  Be brave and adventurous my friend, and go beyond the t-shirt with a fun skirt.  The 10 Crosby Derek Lam Striped Pencil Skirt is an incredibly cool way to do the 8 to 5 day, and I would pair the Raquel Allegra Pencil Tie Dye Skirt with a beautiful square cut blouse to offset the fit of the skirt.  And this one by Nanette Lepore is my favorite--its perfection, especially with the open back top.  For a more casual look, you can find beach maxi skirts, flirty minis, and casual circle skirts in vertical and horizontals.  This Free People Rugby Column Skirt is exactly what I am talking about.  It rocks.
This C&C California top has a 3/4 sleeve and a cool cutout at the shoulder and looked great paired with my red suede wedges and cropped denim at the first summer soiree I attended last week.  You could also dress it down with a pair of shorts for a daytime look.  Zadig and Voltaire do it right with their knits--this Striped Boxy T-Shirt is spot on with its modern cut.  And what kind of Parisian girl wannabe would I be without speaking of Petit Bateau and their fantastic t-shirt collection and its cult like following. They are the gold standard for fit & fabric...the Boatneck Milleraies Tee--need I say more...?