Stripes in underwear and how they sit on the body
Short answer: Narrow stripes settle down at a distance and read as a single tone. Wide stripes show clearly through light outerwear and lay horizontal lines on the body.
Width decides everything
A stripe under half a centimetre blends into an even tone when viewed from a couple of metres away, rather than standing out as separate lines. A stripe over two centimetres instead becomes a graphic element that pulls the eye sideways and becomes the dominant part of the overall look. Choose based on which effect you want.
Under light clothing
Stripes show through a light shirt more clearly than a solid undershirt does, since the contrast between light and dark stripe shifts all the way down through the fabric. If underwear needs to stay fully invisible under light clothing, choose solid in a skin close tone instead. See bamboo undershirt for men.
Stripes in sleepwear and loungewear
Here, visibility under other clothing does not matter, and stripes make an outfit less plain to look at without being loud or overwhelming in the overall look. Narrow stripes in two close tones are the easiest to combine with the rest of a wardrobe. See bamboo sleepwear for men and bamboo sleepwear for women.
Direction of the stripes
Horizontal stripes pull the eye sideways and can give an impression of more width on the body, while vertical stripes pull the gaze up and down and can give an impression of more height. The effect is often smaller in practice than in theory, but direction is still worth considering when choosing between two similar patterns.
Number of colours in the pattern
Two close tones, such as dark blue and navy, create a calm, light pattern that almost reads as a single colour from a distance. Using three or more contrasting colours in the same pattern instead makes the look more playful and requires the rest of the outfit to stay simple so it does not feel cluttered overall.
Stripes and fit
On a fitted garment, stripes follow the body's shape clearly, while on a looser cut they break up with folds in the fabric and look less even. If you want a calm, uniform stripe pattern, a closer fit works best. If you want a more relaxed effect, a looser cut can push the pattern further into the background.
The role of material with stripes
On a soft, even material like bamboo viscose, stripes appear clean and sharp, since the surface does not disturb the pattern with texture. On a coarser or more textured fabric, stripes can look blurred or less clear, especially if the pattern is printed rather than woven directly into the fabric itself.
Washing striped clothing
Always wash striped clothing on its own for the first few times, until you are confident the colours do not bleed into other items. Turn the garment inside out and use a low temperature, so both the light and dark stripe stay clear and defined for as long as possible.
Choosing correctly in practice
If striped clothing will be worn visibly under other clothing, choose narrow stripes in close tones for a calm overall look. If it will be worn alone or for relaxing, you can go for wider stripes and more contrast if you like a clearer, more graphic look in your wardrobe overall.
Frequently asked questions
Do horizontal stripes make you look wider
The effect is small in practice and depends mostly on the width of the stripe and the fit of the garment. A loose fit combined with wide stripes gives the clearest effect on the body.
Does striped fabric fade unevenly
No, but the dark stripe usually fades faster than the light one, so the contrast between the stripes slowly decreases over time with repeated washing.
Can you wash stripes together with white
Only after the first few washes. The dark stripe typically bleeds a little at first, so wash striped clothing separately until the colour becomes stable.
See our range of Boody underwear.
