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The Stripe: Not just a pretty face
From illuminated manuscripts to toothpaste, stripes are a versatile motif with a long history of rich cultural meaning
“In every double-tracker’s wardrobe, in the vicinity of every item of furniture made from reclaimed pallets, you will likely find at least one stripy t-shirt,” writes Rosanna Mclaughlin in Double Tracking (a deliciously wicked observation of class and privilege in the cultural industries). She continues:
“The Breton stripe first appeared in 1858 as a uniform for low-ranking French seamen, worn as an undergarment visible through the V-neck of a sailor’s suit, each bar representing one of Napoleon’s naval victories. A few decades later, it became popular among musicians working the Parisian bal-musette circuit, late-night dances with a reputation for sleaze which attracted wealthy Parisians, keen for a brush with the city’s underbelly. Nightclub proprieters who got wise to the mores of the bourgeoise took to staging phoney police raids for the excitement of their upmarket visitors. The fortunes of the Breton shirt would change forever when it was picked up by Gabrielle Bonheur ‘Coco’ Chanel, Nazi collaborator and perennial darling of the fashion industry, who included it in her 1917 range. Chanel repackaged the seaman’s underwear for the all-hands-on-deckchairs…
