Stripes Are the Hot Print of Summer

Close your eyes—now picture yourself in the warm summer sun in Southern Italy. The sea is glittering and you can smell the refreshing, salty breeze. Sitting in your lounge chair, you’re wrapped in a navy and white striped cabana towel, and you’re seeking refuge from the sun under an oversized, yellow, striped umbrella. Your swimsuit: striped. Your beach bag: striped. Even the paper straw in your cocktail: striped!

We’re not the only daydreamers with visions of lovely lines. Textile designer Ellen van Dusen is the queen of stripes in our book. “Stripes are my all time favorite pattern,” she shares with Clever. “What I love most about designing prints is finding new and unexpected ways to pair colors, and stripes are the purest and most straightforward way to do so. There is nothing more visually pleasing to me than a perfectly balanced stripe.” 

We couldn’t agree more! Stripes can be classic or coastal, subtle or super modern. We’re even seeing stripes gone wild with the rise of carnivalcore. There are endless interpretations of the pattern and each one is perfect in its own way. “They will always be in style because they are so versatile,” Ellen adds. “Use two clashing colors and they will look like they are vibrating. Use close tones and they become an elevated neutral. To me, stripes are forever, but I will happily agree that summer is when they reign supreme.”

Ellen and designers across the spectrum are doubling down on bold lines to infuse color, energy, warmth, and pizzazz into outdoor gathering and indoor coziness alike this season. Below we go into detail about our latest striped finds from some of our favorite brands.

Breezy Bedding

Summer is a time to leave the bedroom windows open and snuggle under cool, crisp sheets. Jake Arnold’s newest collection for Parachute, which he described to digital design editor Sydney Gore as a “neutral base that can be built upon and added to, [in order] to create a beautifully layered home,” successfully bottles this feeling into a bed cover with vintage inspired linen stripes featured throughout: 

For a bolder bedroom look, one of the easiest ways to switch up the vibe is to go with vibrant statement bedding. Sure enough, Dusen Dusen just came out with a reversible striped coverlet that is nothing short of groovy, baby:

Head over to The Inside for their newly launched full bedroom sets, including this maximalist hunk of goodness that pairs a striped headboard with lined throw pillows, colorful sheets, and a wonderfully wild, patterned bench:

If you want to add a boost of color to a guest room or summerhouse, here’s an nice nautical option made of sustainable fibers, from Spanish retailer Mango:

A Great Gatsby Get-Together

You know the infamous Daisy Buchanan curtain scene? This striped and fringed lampshade and throw pillows, both from Chairish, whose Spring 2022 trend predictions were filled with striped stuff, would both be the perfect mise-en-scène:

Rather than a tufted couch, a modern-day Daisy might instead opt for the Studio Chair by Buchanan Studio, which we’ve been seeing all over the place. If stripes are scandalous, well then being bad never felt so good:

Lining up for Dinner

Mango recently launched an adorable–and affordable–home line that also includes terrific tabletop offerings. Sure enough, the patterns are plentiful. Stock up on some of their striped picks, including a cotton striped apron, ecru placemats, and lovely linen napkins.

You can even line your dining room walls to new heights with Goodee’s wallpaper offerings from Coordonné Wallpaper: 

How about a perfectly symmetrical striped vase to top off the table? 

Unsurprisingly, Dusen Dusen also has perfect placemats for the occasion. 

Scrub-a-Dub-Dub

Towels were some of the first items with which stripes entered the home. Classic blue beach towels quickly give way to punchier color combinations. Dusen Dusen’s striped robe, a cult favorite, is nonnegotiable after an evening soak,  and we adore the brand’s latest interpretation in towel form:

Bolé Road’s collection with West Elm is truly summer personified, with colorful bathroom accessories and throw pillows, all with the same through lines.

We’d be remiss not to talk about the trendy Tekla, a brand that brings a Scandinavian sophistication to its eco-friendly towels and terry bathrobes.