Striped Shirts for Women: How to Choose and Wear Them

A striped shirt for women is a button-front shirt woven with lines of colour, usually on a white ground, and the width and spacing of those lines decide where it belongs: the office, the weekend, a dinner. Our reference point this season is the new ME+EM Relaxed Forever Shirt in Soft White/Navy, a cotton poplin stripe with a longline body, and the rest of the label’s shirting sits on our ME+EM brand page.

This guide is about choosing the shirt itself: the stripe names worth knowing, how scale and contrast change the effect, which cloth to pick, how a relaxed cut should fit, and how to keep the white ground white. For outfit ideas built around stripes of every kind, our guide to how to wear stripes goes further.

The stripe names worth knowing

Pinstripe. A single fine line, often one thread wide, set well apart. From a few steps away the shirt reads as a solid colour with texture. The Maison Margiela Cotton Poplin Pinstripe Shirt in White is a clean example.

Bengal stripe. Coloured and white stripes of equal width, usually a few millimetres each. This is the classic blue and white office shirt, and the most versatile scale to own first.

Candy stripe. A Bengal stripe in a brighter colour, often red, pink and green. It is easiest with plain denim.

Butcher and awning stripes. Wider bands, a centimetre and more. They read as relaxed and graphic, closer to a beach shirt than a work shirt.

How to choose a striped shirt

Scale. Finer stripes look smarter and more formal; wider stripes look more casual. If you only buy one striped shirt, choose a fine to medium stripe in navy and white, which suits denim, grey tailoring and black evening trousers alike.

Contrast. High contrast (navy on white) is crisp and graphic. Low contrast (olive on cream, tan on off-white) is softer and easier with knitwear in earth tones. ME+EM shows both on Coveti: the Relaxed Forever Shirt in Olive/Soft White and the Stripe Boyfriend Shirt in Tan/Off White sit at the gentle end.

Cloth. Poplin is a tight plain weave with a smooth, slightly crisp face, which keeps a stripe sharp. Oxford cloth has a basketweave texture that softens the line. Voile is light and semi-sheer. Our guide to poplin shirts explains the weave in more depth.

Cut. A relaxed cut has extra room through the body and a dropped feel at the shoulder; a fitted cut follows the torso. Relaxed shirts are easier to layer and tuck, and they forgive a wide stripe.

Hem. A curved shirt-tail hem, longer at the back, tucks neatly and stays tucked. A level hem is designed to be worn out.

The new ME+EM Relaxed Forever Shirt

ME+EM describes the Relaxed Forever Shirt in Soft White/Navy as a lightweight yet crisp cotton poplin with a naturally breathable finish. Main fabric and trim are both 100% cotton. The fit is relaxed, with a button-down front, long sleeves and a longline length, and the house says it fits true to size. It is made in Portugal. On Coveti it is offered in UK 4 to UK 18.

The longline body is the useful detail: enough length to tuck into a high-rise trouser, and enough to leave out over slim jeans.

Comparison matrix: three ME+EM striped shirts

How we measured: composition, fit and country of manufacture come from the ME+EM product page for the Soft White/Navy shirt; measurements are ME+EM’s own published size chart in centimetres; sizes held come from the Coveti catalogue (Store API) for each shirt. We did not re-measure garments, and any value the house does not publish is marked as such.

How a relaxed striped shirt should fit

Read the chart before you size down. At UK 8 the Relaxed Forever Shirt measures 108 cm across the bust, so the room is designed in; taking a smaller size to make it neater changes the shape the house intended. Note the back length runs about 4 cm longer than the front in every size, which is the curved hem at work. If you plan to tuck, that extra length at the back is what keeps the shirt in place when you sit.

On a relaxed shirt the shoulder seam can sit slightly past your own shoulder. Sleeves should reach the wrist bone with the cuff buttoned, then roll back twice for a casual look. Stripes also make poor fit obvious: if the vertical lines bow at the buttons, the shirt is too tight across the bust. ME+EM’s model is 178 cm and wears a UK 8. Our ME+EM size guide covers the label’s sizing in full.

Three ways to wear one

Half-tucked with denim. Tuck the front only, leave the back out, roll the sleeves. The curved hem drapes cleanly behind.

Under a crew neck knit. Let the collar and a striped cuff show. Our guide to layering a shirt under a jumper covers collar placement and cuff length.

Open over a vest. Unbuttoned over a white tank, a striped shirt works as a light jacket. For a plain version, see our edit of white button-down shirts.

Striped shirts around the world

US. Shoppers search striped shirt women about 5,400 times a month. Americans often say button-down for any button-front shirt; strictly it means a collar with buttoned points.

UK. Around 4,400 monthly searches. A striped shirt is a staple under knitwear from October to March, and on its own with denim in spring. Poplin and oxford both suit the climate.

EU. In France the chemise rayee is a wardrobe constant, often worn oversized and tucked into straight jeans.

GCC. In the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar a lightweight cotton poplin is the practical choice for heat and air conditioning alike. A relaxed, longline cut also layers easily over wide trousers and under an open abaya.

How to care for a striped cotton shirt

ME+EM labels the Relaxed Forever Shirt for a gentle machine wash. Wash with whites and pale colours, at a low temperature, inside out to protect the face of the cloth. Avoid optical brighteners on coloured stripes, since they can dull navy and olive. Hang to dry on a wide hanger, then iron while slightly damp on the reverse; poplin presses crisply.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most versatile striped shirt to buy first?

A fine to medium navy and white stripe in cotton poplin. It works with denim, grey and black tailoring and most knitwear colours.

Do vertical stripes make you look taller?

Vertical stripes draw the eye up and down, so a longline striped shirt worn tucked, with a matching trouser colour, gives a long unbroken line.

Should a relaxed striped shirt be sized down?

Usually not. ME+EM says the Relaxed Forever Shirt fits true to size, and its chart shows the ease is intentional.

What is the difference between pinstripe and Bengal stripe?

A pinstripe is a very fine line set well apart. A Bengal stripe has coloured and white stripes of equal, wider width.

Can you wear a striped shirt in the evening?

Yes. A crisp poplin stripe tucked into black tailored trousers, with the collar open and a pair of earrings, is a simple dinner look.

How do you stop a white striped shirt going grey?

Wash it with whites only, at a low temperature, and dry it out of direct heat. Follow the care label on each product page.

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