Look at spacing and contrast together
A fine, low-contrast stripe may look quiet from across a room. A wide, high-contrast stripe can become the outfit’s main feature. Width alone does not determine formality, and vertical stripes do not guarantee a slimming effect.
- Work: try a fine blue stripe with grey trousers, if your workplace allows pattern.
- Casual lunch: try a stronger stripe with plain denim and comfortable shoes.
- Summer evening: use a coloured stripe with neutral trousers and a light jacket when needed.
For a useful comparison, place two shirts side by side and note the repeated stripe width, the space between stripes, the background colour and how the pattern meets at the placket. Those details explain more than assigning one scale to tall men and another to shorter men.
Try the whole outfit seated and standing. Use your preferred proportions, rather than treating stripe direction as a rule for your body shape.
Continue reading: The Men's Check Shirt Guide: Gingham, Tattersall, Windowpane & Houndst · Shirt Collars & Cuffs Explained: Cutaway, Spread, One-Piece, Single vs · How Should a Shirt Fit? The Complete Men's Guide.
Browse statement stripes. Check the product page for the current fabric, measurements, price and available sizes.
Explore printed shirt styling in the Claudio Lugli journal.
The striped shirt is the most quietly versatile pattern in menswear. It flatters almost everyone, it moves easily from a wedding lawn to a Friday desk, and it carries centuries of tailoring history. Somewhere along the way, though, stripes picked up a reputation for being safe and a little grey. That is not how we see them at Claudio Lugli.
To us a stripe is a rhythm you can play with: change the colour, the scale, the pairing, add the print-house details we are known for, and the humble stripe becomes one of the boldest things a man can wear. This is the bold edition — the main types of stripe, how to wear them without vanishing into the crowd, which stripes suit which occasion, a note on proportion, and how our shirts fit.
Why the striped shirt earns its place
A stripe draws the eye along a line. Vertical stripes create a directional pattern; their visual effect depends on scale, contrast, cut and the whole outfit. Because the pattern is regular and directional, a striped shirt reads as considered rather than loud, even in strong colour. That is exactly why it is such a useful canvas for the Claudio Lugli signatures — a contrast one-piece collar, contrast cuffs and plackets, multicoloured buttons and a considered lining. Put those details on a clean stripe and you get a shirt that is smart at a glance and full of character up close.
Every design is a limited edition, printed on Egyptian satin cotton and produced in limited quantities; check the design’s current production information — a print house's eye on a classic pattern, sitting deliberately between beige business shirting and full maximalism.
The six stripes, shown
Knowing the family helps you buy and wear stripes with intent. Here are the six worth knowing — each shown as it really falls, with its character and where it sits on the smart-to-casual scale.
Every one a limited edition on premium Egyptian satin cotton — with the contrast collars, cuffs and multicoloured buttons that are ours alone.
How to wear it without looking corporate
The difference between a stripe that says regional sales conference and one that turns heads is rarely the stripe itself — it is everything around it. Four principles keep you on the bold side of the line.
Stripes and denim are a reliable win; stripes under a plain crew or v-neck with just the collar and cuffs showing is another effortless move. If you reach for a jacket, keep it unpatterned so the shirt stays the headline.
Striped shirts by occasion
An awning or Bengal stripe in a confident colour, open at the collar or under a lightweight blazer — present without tipping into fancy dress. Let the contrast collar and multicoloured buttons shine.
For a guest, a university or hairline stripe under a jacket strikes the right note — smart, celebratory, photograph-friendly. Keep tailoring plain so the shirt carries the personality.
A pinstripe or fine stripe in a rich colourway does the work of a business shirt while looking chosen rather than issued. Tuck it in, keep trousers clean, and the contrast placket earns a second look.
A butcher or awning stripe with sleeves rolled to the forearm, untucked, collar open — the easiest way to look pulled together in the heat. Egyptian satin cotton keeps it cool and crisp.
Vertical stripes & proportion
Vertical lines lead the eye up and down, lengthening the torso and creating a slimming effect — the reason a striped shirt flatters almost every build. Scale matters: if you are broad or tall, wider Bengal and awning stripes balance your proportions; if you are slimmer or shorter, finer hairline and university stripes keep everything in harmony.
A note on fit
Our shirts are cut to a tailored regular fit — clean through the body without being tight. If you are between sizes, or broad through the shoulders and chest, we recommend sizing up for the right drape. With nine sizes from S to 6XL there is room to get it exactly right. Our size guide has full measurements.
Explore the striped designs and check each product for its composition, production information and available sizes.
Shop striped shirts →Frequently asked questions
Yes. The striped shirt is a permanent fixture rather than a passing trend, and it is having a strong moment as men move away from plain shirting toward pattern with personality. Worn in bold colour with contrast details, a stripe looks current and considered, not corporate.
A Bengal stripe is an even pattern of coloured and white bands, each roughly a quarter of an inch wide. It sits between the finer university stripe and the broad awning stripe, making it the versatile all-rounder of the stripe family.
Choose a colour beyond the office pale-blue default, let contrast details carry the character, and keep the rest of the outfit calm so the shirt leads. Treat a bold stripe as your single statement piece with plain trousers and simple shoes.
Choose vertical or horizontal stripes by the look you enjoy. Scale, contrast and garment fit affect the result; neither direction guarantees a slimming or widening effect.
Our shirts are cut to a tailored regular fit, so they are trim but not tight. If you are between sizes or broad-shouldered, we recommend sizing up. Check the size guide for full measurements before you order.
