RI Beauty Insider: Nautical Chic - The Breton T-shirt

RI Beauty Insider: Nautical Chic - The Breton T-shirt

Striped cabanas and awnings have always been evocative of a seaside summer and the most iconic of stripes is the navy-on-white of the Breton t-shirt, a garment as French as the beret. Still an emblem of simple beach style, it's become an enduring summer staple. Stolen from the French fisherman and taken as her own by the great Coco Chanel, there is a charming sailor-on-leave allure to wearing this cheerful top.

The Breton comes in all price points and can be found anywhere:  from exclusive boutiques to Old Navy to high end department stores like Nordstrom. And since designers keep interpreting it in fresh new ways, it’s a versatile addition to your summer closet. Here’s how to start:

White strips

Crisp white ankle pants and sharp stripes make for a classic resort look. Pop on some dark shades and add a slash color with a beautiful red lipstick.

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Mix master

The simplicity of the Breton stripe lends itself to pattern mixing. Don't be shy to add florals in a scarf, skirt or pants. The trick is to make sure the background echoes the blue of your t-shirt to tie it all together.

Go sleeveless

Find your Breton stripes in a sweet camisole and wear it with shorts and flip-flops on sweltering hot days. You'll be cool and unruffled and the crisp stripes will still give you that pulled together French look despite the climbing heat index. Tie your hair back with a fetching floral scarf in sea blues and greens (see “mix master” above).

Jeans

The Breton was made for relaxed jeans. Get this timeless yet modern look with flats or summery espadrilles. Add a straw fedora for enigmatic sexiness.

For summer, designers often invoke the classic muses of Jackie and Grace, two women who loved nautical French chic and the sea. The Breton t-shirt is a throwback to when style was unabashedly clean-cut, tasteful, and simple. Just perfect for right now.

Donna Macdonald is a freelance writer who enjoys covering topics of interest to women, especially fragrance, style, beauty. She has also written marketing material for a women's book that hit the New York Times Bestseller list and netted her an up close and personal discussion on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Donna currently writes her own personal blog, alovelyinconsequence.blogspot.com where she also writes about issues close to a woman's heart. Donna believes that when a woman finds beauty in the world, she will find beauty in herself.