The French Sailors Top, aka Breton Stripe Top, aka La Marinière

brigitte bardot french sailors top

Do not tell me that you’re not shaped like Brigitte Bardot and therefore can’t wear horizontal stripes. French sailor shirts look great on everyone, curvy or stick straight. Even though they’ve been around forever (you can read a great history and see Coco Chanel and Pablo Picasso wearing theirs here), they’re particularly ubiquitous this year, and will likely remain a wardrobe basic until we finally get those long-promised silver jumpsuits. So grab one or two now, before thoughts turn from sailing to skiing.

french sailors shirt

Ouch, my eyes. If you have one of these, try not to stand next to anyone wearing the same thing. These range in price from $9.50 to $88.

L to R:

  1. French Connection Tim Tim tee, L.L. Bean French sailor’s shirt, J. Crew sailor boatneck tee
  2. Forever 21 striped pocket top, Maison Scotch stripe sailor top, Topshop boxy stripe tee with elbow patches