Stripe Patterns – All About the Types of Stripes

This guide covers the most common types of stripe patterns in fabric, including awning, pinstripe, chevron, candy stripe, and more. Whether you’re choosing fabric for sewing, fashion, or home décor, understanding the different types of stripes helps you pick the right design for every project. In this complete stripe pattern guide, you’ll find clear explanations, pictures, and sewing tips.

Use the table of contents below to go straight to your favorite stripe pattern or keep reading and discover new types!

Types of Stripe Patterns in Fabric (With Pictures and Sewing Tips)

Stripes are mostly lines or bands woven or printed horizontally, vertically, or diagonally on the fabric. Apart from their position, the way to categorize the different types of stripes is through their sizes and design elements, including color and space.

If you want to generate your own stripe patterns, here is a link to my random stripe generator tool.

Here is a stripe pattern quick guide. Keep reading for more information and pictures of each stripe.

Stripe Pattern	Direction	Look & Style	Best For
Awning	Vertical	Bold, wide, high-contrast	Outdoor fabrics, cushions, statement clothing
Balanced	Vertical	Symmetrical, formal	Curtains, upholstery, tailored garments
Barcode	Vertical	Modern, uneven widths	Contemporary décor, fashion fabrics
Bayadere	Horizontal	Colorful, artistic	Dresses, quilts, craft projects
Candy	Vertical	Soft, pastel, playful	Children’s clothing, pajamas
Bengal	Vertical	Classic, narrow stripes	Shirts, business wear
Banker	Vertical	Very fine, professional	Office shirts, uniforms
Candy Cane	Diagonal	Festive, bold	Holiday décor, costumes
Chalk	Vertical	Subtle, textured	Suiting, wool fabrics
Chevron	Zigzag	Dynamic, graphic	Dresses, blankets, décor
Hairline	Vertical	Ultra-fine, elegant	Dress shirts, suits
Hickory	Vertical	Workwear, vintage	Jackets, aprons, bags
Navy (Breton)	Horizontal	Nautical, timeless	T-shirts, casual wear
Pinstripe	Vertical	Formal, slimming	Suits, trousers, skirts
Regency	Vertical	Traditional, decorative	Upholstery, wallpaper
Regimental	Diagonal	Classic, heritage	Ties, uniforms
Roman	Vertical	Bright, bold	Statement fashion
Serpentine	Wavy	Soft, flowing	Dresses, scarves
Shadow	Vertical	Layered, refined	Business wear, formal fabrics

1. Awning Stripes

Also known as cabana or block stripes, the awning stripe design is currently considered the widest vertical stripe with a bold statement. Evenly spaced, this stripe pattern has an elegant appearance that can sometimes be jarring.

2. Balanced Stripe Patterns

Balanced is among the stripe patterns with multiple and differently sized colored stripes arranged vertically and symmetrically. The center has a wide band surrounded by narrower bands and lines. It also has an interior layered with thin lines.

3. Barcode Stripe Designs

From the name itself, this type of stripe was patterned from the Universal Product Code. It also has differently-sized vertical stripes. The difference is that it doesn’t have 95 vertical stripes made of black and white only. Instead, barcode stripes on fabric can be monochromatic, dichromatic, or multichromatic.

4. Bayadere Stripe Pattern

Bayadere is an Indian term that pertains to a Hindu female ritual dancer, so the stripe pattern also originated from India. These are horizontal stripes of different sizes. They are made of bright, bold, or vivid colorways and are distributed randomly on the fabric.

5. Candy Stripes

These vertical types of stripes have two or more colors, usually, a white background paired with pastel colors, such as blue, pink, and/or yellow. Such a design gives it a young, sweet, girly vibe, making it a common pattern on children’s clothes and babywear. Distributed evenly and alternately, the stripes have a one-eighth-inch space in between them.

6. Bengal Stripes

Although more common in menswear, Bengal stripes are becoming a norm in female fashion, especially since we’re becoming a more non-gender-exclusive world. Also known as the tiger stripe, it has two colors, light and dark, distributed alternately and spaced at one-fourth inch. Each stripe has a width that isn’t as wide as the awning stripe but not as thin as the candy stripe.

7. Banker Stripe Pattern

The banker is similar to Bengal stripe patterns, but the lines are thinner, specifically one-eight inches. Also, the color combination is almost always white and baby blue.

8. Candy Cane Stripes

Aptly named, this stripe pattern looks like the candy canes associated with Christmas. It usually has two alternating, similarly width red and white stripes. At times, you’ll find candy-striped fabrics with broad red stripes surrounded by narrower red stripes; again, placed against a white background. Either way, they have a diagonal direction.

9. Chalk Stripe Pattern

Chalk patterns are unique because the “stripes” are made of dots or speckles that follow a straight line. With a fuzzy and thin appearance, you’ll commonly find this pattern on wool and suit fabrics.

10. Chevron Stripes

Also known as herringbone and zigzag types of stripes, the chevron has a compelling and unique visual effect. Unlike most other stripe types, the short bands’ placement portrays a “v” shape. This pattern has two different effects on your body figure, depending on how it’s positioned. Horizontally placed “v” stripes will make you look broader while vertically placed ones will make you appear slimmer and taller.

11. Hairline Stripes

From the name itself, you’ll expect that this has very thin lines of different colors, usually three. Two colors are usually close to each other while the other is placed a little further.

12. Hickory Stripe Pattern

This stripe pattern was initially used in work jackets and overalls worn by railroad workers and engineers. Now a design seen in most fabric-made items, the hickory stripe hasn’t changed. It is still a white stripe placed vertically against an indigo blue background.

13. Navy Stripes

Initially seen in French Navy uniforms, this horizontal stripe type was then used on official Breton t-shirts; hence, the other name, Breton stripe. Then, Coco Chanel adopted it and turned it into one of the most famous and fashionable stripe patterns. This has a dark-colored stripe placed alternately against a white background.

14. Pinstripe

Believed to be first used on bank employee uniforms with the stripe color as an identifier for a specific bank, you’ll find these stripe patterns on pants, skirts, jackets, and suits. The pinstripe has a thin, dash-like line made of one or two colors placed alternately. The distance in each line is too wide so that the background appears as a much broader stripe.

15. Regency Stripe Pattern

This stripe originated in India and is one of the first types used during the neo-classic-style era in Europe we discussed earlier. Therefore, you can also find upholstery and wallpaper with this pattern type.

16. Regimental Stripes

The regimental stripe has the most basic colors such as blue, burgundy, red, navy, and yellow, making it common on uniforms and heraldric items. You’ll also usually find it on neckwear or ties. The stripes are placed diagonally.

17. Roman Striping Pattern

The roman is among the boldest types of stripes made of neon or bright colors. They have different widths and are placed vertically. Be mindful of wearing clothes with this stripe design because they project a playful vibe, making them mostly unsuitable for formal occasions.

18. Serpentine Stripes

This stripe design has a wavy, undulating look that resembles how a serpent moves. It gives any fabric a softer look, but when worn, can make your body appear wider than normal. Thus, be careful when choosing clothes with serpentine stripes.

19. Shadow Stripes

These stripe patterns have an elegant design with the lines placed adjacent to each other to create a shadow. It has light-colored stripes bordered by darker ones.

The History of Stripe Patterns

You can find a lot of patterns that add style and life to the fabric. Just like the checkered pattern, stripes are among the oldest and have a rich history. It’s rich enough that stripes might not be part of the fashion and interior design industries if things turned out differently.

Stripe Patterns for the Isolated – When first introduced, stripe patterns had a bad reputation and were often considered vulgar. Medieval Europe’s “outcast” population, such as prostitutes, clowns, hangmen, heretics, and lepers, were the first to wear them. Stripes were also frowned upon because they lack depth.

Stripe Patterns for Style – In the latter part of the 18th century, Europe started embracing the Neo-classical style, a stricter and purer style. Thus, there were already drapes, curtains, wallpapers, and clothes with stripes. Still, the negative connotation with stripes remained; in fact, North American penal colonies started using this pattern for prisoners’ uniforms. The types of stripes used were black and white. They also had horizontal arrangements and wide spaces for high visibility. This way, it was hard for prisoners to escape, as they could be seen easily.

Stripe Patterns as High-End Fashion – In the early 20th century, specifically around 1920, public school students started wearing striped uniforms while males wore striped neckties. Then, university goers wore striped uniforms and neckties, linking the pattern to privileged individuals. Similarly, professionals began wearing striped suits and ties, while those belonging to the rich society wore stripes as part of their daily fashion style. Specifically, the candy and pinstripe stripe patterns, associating them with high-end fashion and luxury.

Stripe Patterns Today – Nowadays, you’ll find several kinds of stripes used in different fabrics and made into clothes, curtains, blankets, and more.

Sewing Tips for Stripe Patterns

Striped fabrics are among the most challenging to sew because you have to be mindful of how the patterns line up or appear. That’s why it’s important to get it right even before the exact sewing process. Below are some things to keep in mind when sewing fabrics with stripes.

Ideally, you place the sewing pattern on a folded fabric and then cut, but experts recommend laying the fabric flat on a wide, flat surface for stripes. You can do the folded technique, but do it more carefully than usual.

You need to use more pins to ensure the fabric pieces are as secure as you want to achieve the correct stripe patterns. Better yet, use double-pronged pins or those used for quilting. Place one pin for every stripe down to its seam. Consider placing a pin on the stripe’s bottom and top. Always check the fabric’s front and back sides to see if you lined them up accurately.

If you’re unsure how well the pins will hold the fabric pieces together, you can use washable, double-sided basting tape. Place it along the first pattern’s right-side seam allowances. Then, attach the second pattern’s right side. Double-check the stripe patterns’ alignment, then unpeel and re-position if imperfectly aligned.

How to Choose the Right Stripe Pattern

Choosing the right type of stripe pattern can make a big difference to your clothing and home decor projects. Here is some guidance:

• For a slim look → vertical pinstripes
• For bold decor → awning
• For modern → barcode
• For classic → Breton

In Conclusion

Multiple types of stripes exist. They can help you improve your place’s interior design and fashion style. You can match stripes with stripes or stripes with plains. Sometimes, though, you must be careful when choosing stripe patterns, as some are too bold and playful.

More Patterns:

• Tartan Patterns
• Checkered Patterns