As the 2010 military trend winds down, this summer we turn to new influences – but that doesn’t mean the nautical shall be overlooked entirely. For those fashionisers who are nautically inclined, Summer 2011 still has something in store. Don’t think of it strictly as a nautical military trend, however. Rather, it’s the classic navy and white colour palette, worn as dominant stripes.

Note that I didn’t say bold stripes, but dominant stripes. While navy and white stripes are a must for the look (though black and white can also work in 2011), the real key to Summer’s take on nautical stripes is that they dominate the outfit. While they do so in the below look easily (though the plum Doc Martens still seem somewhat heavy), in other outfits it’s about drawing attention to the stripes above all else in the outfit.

While most looks rely on bold stripes, you’ll see that the trend is just as effective when the stripes are thin. Hence for Summer 2010 look for dominant stripes, not necessarily bold ones. Don’t think of this Summer stripes just as a clothing trend: you can work them into any part of an outfit, any accessories from hat to killer mini-dresses.

Remember that: this summer, the stripes don’t dominate, but in a crowded room the look certainly will.