THE ASCENSION OF STRIPES
A staple pattern today, stripes have an intriguing history that spans centuries – evolving from negative connotations to wardrobe essential. With the arrival of Mondo Corsini’s limited edition stripe capsule, we explore this history further.
During the Middle Ages, stripes carried a negative connotation because of their use on black and white prisoner uniforms. Seen as “the devil’s cloth”, the pattern was generally only worn by prisoners or women of the night.
When Napoleon Bonaparte added a striped tented room in the Château de Malmaison, stripes made their debut in the interiors world. The era of using stripes on walls, drapes, sheets and furniture had begun, and the revival of this pattern’s reputation was underway.
During the 19th century, Breton fishermen wore striped shirts, less as a fashion statement, more to be seen if they happened to find themselves overboard. The striped shirt became more widely known when it was adopted as the official uniform of French sailors in 1858. Approaching the end of the 1800s, when Queen Victoria dressed her son in a sailor suit during a royal event, this marine motif slowly took off and the navy striped sailor outfit was born.
While on holiday in the French Riviera, Coco Chanel was famously inspired by these sailor uniforms and created her 1917 nautical collection — bringing the cabana stripe to the forefront of fashion. Her Breton shirt, named after the Brittany region in France, has become a staple in the closets of chic women worldwide.
Today, we continue to see stripes on the runways of Paris, New York, and our love of stripes is here to stay. An iconic addition to a Mondo Woman’s wardrobe, and wearable for years to come.
Shop the limited-edition Catherine in three striped colour ways today.
