They say women “love a man in a uniform” and in the case of the Breton striped shirt truer words were never spoken. It began when a troop of French Navy officers and Cadets first were spotted during a training exercise along the River Thames. Then it was Coco Channel that introduced the look to mainstream fashion in 1930 and made it fashionable, but then the ‘bad boys’ took it to the next level. Starting with James Dean in the early 50’s and then his fellow Actors Studio alumn Marlon Brando in 1955, rockin’ the stripes in what always seemed to be casual and hip scenarios, making the look the desire of every beatnik. Then in the 60’s when both Mick Jagger and Andy Warhol showcased the look on two separate continents it was cemented as a choice for fashion icons for decades to come.
Now, there is some risk to this look, despite the fact that the Breton Stipe look is timeless, the fit of the shirt has changed over the years. Recently we’ve seen style 
trendsetters such as David Beckham, Usher, Idris Alba, and Alex Turner pull the look off with flying colors (at least white and navy blue) but the loose fitting and baggy unfitted waistline won’t work with today’s slim fit jeans and cottons so you much choose your cuts wisely before venturing into this realm or risk disaster. We found some designers to nailed both the theme and the fit on both counts.
