Behind Bars: For Spring, It’s Horizontal Stripes for the Guys

From seersucker to oxford shirts, stripes are nothing new in menswear. This season, however, designers have taken the traditional vertical lines and rotated them 90 degrees. Horizontal patterns, particularly on pants have appeared on a handful of runways, reminding us of both pajamas and prisonwear. Less intimidating than an escaped convict, but far more stylish, these looks seem designed to attract attention as opposed to the usual men's strategy of blending in with the crowd. Obedient Sons and Daughters gave us a restrained take on the trend with their shimmering, almost feminine short suit. Patrik Ervell also had the bars working in his favor with his black-and-white and red-and-white jean-cut trousers. But the boldness of others was what really opened our eyes to this horizontal meme. Cheeky provocateur Tim Hamilton showed off prison-striped T-shirts, sweaters, tanks, and shorts at his spring/summer presentation. The vibe was sporty, the references French, and the palette black and white. The winner in the striped sweepstakes though were the pajama-cut pants by rock-chic designer Robert Geller. As much Tim Burton as they were '70s rockstar, these trousers had us yelling, "there's waldo!"