Stripes making a comeback

Here's why stripes have managed to rule the fashion industry.

Striped suits are now making a comeback, perhaps unequalled since the 1920s, when the Prince of Wales popularised the chalk stripe on his world tour.
Depending on their width, stripes may evoke the business man’s sense of order or the gangster’s disreputable air. The vertical lines are flattering to most figures, and a double-breasted chalk-stripe suit is just about the most elegant thing a man can wear during the day. Here’s a glimpse into what goes into making stripes look attractive.

- Beaded: This comprises an illusion of stripes created by a series of small knotted threads of contrasting colours.

- Chalk stripes: These stripes resemble chalk lines.

- Pencil stripes: These are fine stripes, a bit wider than pinstripes, that blend or contrast with the background.

- Multistripes: Here are stripes of alternating, contrasting colours. Most commonly seen in pinstripes, with the width of the stripe constant but in different colours.

- Pinstripes: Here you find the use of white, grey or other yarns in series in the warp of a worsted fabric. This is the staple of business attire. This is also known as hairline stripes.

- Ombre: This is a term applied to a fabric that is woven, dyed, or printed with bands of a single colour that gradually shifts in tone from light to dark.

- Shadow stripes: This is an indistinct and shadowy stripe. The unique effect is produced by employing alternate ‘s’ and ‘z’ twists to the yarns in the warp. Light refracts differently off the two twists, creating shadows. The effect is obtained without changing the weave, which is plain. This is frequently used in cotton shirting, such as broadcloth and poplin, and in woollen and worsted fabrics.