Every once in a while, you’ll be going about your business and your attention will be caught by something a stranger is wearing that will make you say, “That’s new.”
This is never a moment that stops you in your tracks. It’s not the same as the rush of joy you feel when you see a pretty summer dress bouncing down the street, or the pang of nostalgia you feel when you see a young woman wearing a miniskirt very similar to one you had when you were 19.
This feeling is better than all of these, because you get it when you see a stylish twist on something you already use and could easily copy.
Actress Lily James in Ralph Lauren at the Wimbledon tennis championships in 2023
It’s the newness and freshness that caught your eye, but you might have something similar at the back of your wardrobe, and if you don’t, you know you could find one on the High Street in an instant.
Last week, I had two of these lightning reset moments simultaneously. Two women sitting outside a cafe in the sun: one was wearing a buttoned up sandy suede safari jacket and off-white jeans (very nice, but it looked expensive and we can probably do without a suede safari jacket).
The other was wearing a black jacket over a light beige sweater and cream wide-leg pants with a thin brown or black stripe (not close enough to see which), and that was the lighter.
Ah, striped pants! Where have you been? The wearer looked like a modern-day Jackie Kennedy, all thanks to her summery striped pants (but not so summery that she couldn’t take them off in the shower).
By the way, brown or black on cream is this year’s navy on cream; It’s less nautical and goes better with all the summer black, of which there is a lot.
Model Gigi Hadid wears striped fabrics while out in New York
Under normal circumstances (and this is my number one fashion tip), I would have walked up to her, apologized for interrupting them, and asked where her pants were from. (Note: It’s too much to ask about more than one item: one seems like a compliment, several seem like stalking.)
As it was, he was passing by on a bus, so we’ll never know (a few seasons’ worth of Ralph Lauren, I guess), but there are plenty of striped pants in stores, so replicating his look couldn’t be easier.
Subtle and loose is the key to getting these pants right. The effect we’re going for is a light ticking, not a circus tent, and certainly not the thick black and red stripes we used in the ’80s.
The atmosphere is calm, happy and intelligent. A wide-leg style in cream with a thin black stripe like Hush’s Elissia (£75, hush-uk.com) or in sage, brown or khaki, will give you the perfect trousers for the 24 hours of summer.
There are striped trousers at both ends of the smart casual scale, from Me+Em’s linen and lyocell blend wide-leg pants, in cream with a khaki stripe (£195, meandem.com), to a straight-leg style with drawstring and double narrow. black stripe from & Other Stories (£75, stories.com).
Actress Katharine McPhee in striped pants at a polo event in Los Angeles
Don’t be intimidated by drawstring waists. While they are more casual, as long as the waistband is covered by the hem of a sweater or little black top, they are easily styled.
That said, the ones that have caught my eye are Jaeger’s tailored, swagger and Annie Hall-ish for Marks & Spencer (£125, marksandspencer.com) in ivory with a brown/black stripe.
Would I wear the matching jacket (£175)? I could, in a white T-shirt and flat tan sandals, go to an air-conditioned office. Because the stripe barely appears, it’s an easy summer look and looks better than a plain white suit.
Model Alessandra Ambrosio looks elegant in striped pants in Paris in 2023
Like most of us, I haven’t worn striped pants in years. And in case you’re wondering why now, the answer is because in a pants season in the middle of the season you need options, and as long as the stripes are narrow and the fit is fitted at the hips and flared at the leg, stripes are naturally flattering.
But surprisingly, that’s not the main attraction. Stripes are a super easy way to introduce a pattern into an outfit, keeping everything fresh and simple.
Stripes don’t feel like a pattern, but they break up plain clothes, block colors, and give everything room to breathe. (The same goes for striped shirts, which are having a big moment: head to Zara for a selection of striped poplin or With Nothing Underneath (withnothingunderneath.com) for the best linen striped shirt.)
Just don’t wear the two together, it’s instant pajamas, and you’ll be set.