Fashion: On the right lines for SS18

If it’s springtime, it must be stripes-time, because that’s how the fashion calendar works.

Fair enough, we do love a stripe, especially once we think we might have spotted the first watery glimmers of sunshine on the horizon, and our thoughts turn to the coast, to our potential travels, to getting away from our sodden and dreary home soil.

The blue-and-white Breton top (and tunic dress) has long been a staple come early spring, and happy we are to see it, not least because we usually have at least one version tucked away somewhere, so we don’t have to shell out to look current and contemporary (bank balances may well still be recovering from Christmas, after all).

But there’s a whole new approach to stripes for the coming season, a sort of stripe revolution, via which designers have looked at lines with a fresh eye, changed their direction, clashed them, coloured them, fanned them out, put them at odds and evens with each other and generally shaken them up into a bright and edgy new trend.

So, how to master the new angles and directions with stripes? It might be easiest first to consider clashing a variety of stripes – in width, direction, colour and texture.

An example might be wearing a blue, red and white deckchair-striped asymmetric skirt (see the Studio by Preen at Debenhams look)with a blue and white (or green/black; yellow/black – you get the picture) top, in stripes that are horizontal, or swirly, or sunrise, or a completely different width from the skirt’s stripes. Throw on a striped scarf, introducing new colours and styles of stripe, and you’ve pretty much nailed it.

Striped wide trousers are very much a thing, both monochrome and in coloured stripes. Experiment by pairing some vertical striped wide-leg trousers with a horizontal or diagonally striped tee in a different colourway.

For a more subtle and athleisure feel, simply switch the wide legs for a pair of tracksuit bottom style trousers with a tuxedo stripe down the outer side seams.

Of course, no one is saying you have to do head-to-toe stripes (although a jumpsuit does make this achievable). When in doubt about a brightly striped piece – say, a skirt –simply pair it with a top in a colour from the stripes. Can’t go wrong.

Instagram: @YPStyleTeam.

YORKSHIRE FASHION LISTINGS

April 14, 2018: River Island unveils a new 26,000 sq ft flagship store at Leeds White Rose Shopping Centre with a day of fun and freebies. There will be more womenswear, plus larger children’s and menswear departments. The new site has its own entrance from outside White Rose, allowing easy access for shoppers, and will host in-store DJs for a fun visitor experience. The special events for launch day will include: A free men’s vintage barbershop; a tuk tuk selling hot beverages in aid of local charity, St Gemma’s Hospice; a prosecco cart and free MAC makeovers; facepainting for the younger and young-at-heart visitors; live DJs; goodie bags, freebies, and sampling all day.

Now-October 26. Himalayan Fashion. New exhibition of fashion and textiles at Lotherton Hall, near Leeds. Entrance to hall and grounds, £7.50 (adults). See www.leeds.gov.uk/museumsandgalleries

April 16-22. York Fashion Week. See www.yorkfashionweek.co.uk/ for full programme. Opens on April 16, with Antonia Houston Couture, in collaboration with Meiji Designs and Knot & Bloom, launching the Yorkshire Dandy collection in the Belmont Room at Bettys. Tickets £26.95 from Bettys on 01904 659142.

April 21-22. York Festival of Vintage, York Racecourse. Celebrate the music and style of the era from the 1930s-1960s with displays, shows, stalls and live music. See www.festivalofvintage.co.uk.

April 25. Launch of Celestial SS/18 collection from Bo Carter, with Laurelle Woman and Zlata Alekhno. Entrance free, 6pm, Printworks Kitchen & Bar, Leeds City College. See www.eventbrite.co.uk.

April 26. Launch of Cutout Dolls pop-up boutique in the 1904 hall at Leeds Kirkgate Market.

April 28-May 6. The Fashion Space at Leeds International Festival. Catwalks on Briggate from High Street retailers on April 28 and May 5, from independents on April 29, from graduates on May 6. May 4: In Conversation with Fashion East at the Spiegeltent. See www.leedsinternationalfestival.com.