Classic stripes
Navy blue and white is never out of style.
Melburnians love classic dressing and fashion purists always have handsome navy and crisp white in their wardrobes as Leo Greenfield has observed.
Greenfield has identified how navy and white can be regal—as in this Karl Lagerfeld creation from 1987, with its tulip-shaped skirt bursting from a figure-hugging bodice—or appropriately understated for the street.
The horizontal Breton stripe, as worn by Melburnians in Greenfield’s drawings, was first introduced in France in the 1850’s and is sometimes called a matelot stripe.
Greenfield’s subjects are wearing simple T-shirts and dresses, ideal for everyday, but as style icons Marilyn Monroe and James Dean prove, the Breton stripe makes even the humblest garment eternally stylish.
Emily Power
Image: In the guise of fashion illustration Leo interrogates street culture and imagery and posts these drawings regularly on his blog www.leogreenfield.com.