The Stripes of Summer

Stripes are both trendy and timeless, the linen slipcovers of fashion. This past Sunday at the flea market I noticed lots of people decked out in summer stripe-age, which seemed perfect for the warm 4th of July weekend. It was a sort of tribute to the U.S. flag, the wellspring of all that is striped in America.

{For more on the origins of stripes in fashion, check out the current issue of Matchbook Magazine — and you would no doubt enjoy reading Matchbook Magazine anyway, if you aren’t already engaged in this activity. It is a fun, upbeat take on a life well-lived.}

Spotted from a distance: The Rock Star Stripe

The Total Look. When I mentioned that the yellow stripes are unusual, he said it's hard to find a shirt striped in yellow. He found his in Japan. (Of course!)

The owner of the great shop & design business MPG Home in Newburyport, Massachusetts (see link below). She is modelling the flea market find of a friend (who didn't want to be photographed, something to which I can relate...) of The Roving Home: a tiny McCall's dress pattern for dolls.

My own contribution: the red clogs just put my stripes over the top in the patriotic department.

Relevant Links:

Matchbook Magazine

MPG Home Design

Bonus Visuals: Americana on Display

There was a great booth at the flea market staffed by Trudy, the happiest vendor I’ve ever encountered (not that there is much competition). She was a delight all the way around — and she created lovely displays of her merchandise that drew the eye to the possibilities of owning, say, three vintage ice cream makers for an instant collection of classic Americana.