I had a hate-hate relationship with the color navy for the longest time. Back in college, I bought a dowdy navy suit for a job interview. It didn’t help that I paired it with navy pumps which made me look very stewardess-meets-Murphy-Brown. Navy always seemed too difficult and annoying to match. While its hex triplet is #000080, there are so many variations—some veer towards purple, others almost black. Little did I know that I shouldn’t have been trying to “match” different navies in the first place. D’oh!

Only recently have I gotten over my distaste for navy, finding myself now at the other end of the spectrum of full-on love and affection. How did I do it? By simultaneously kicking my paralyzing fear of wearing stripes. A bunch of articles in Seventeen and Glamour had convinced me years ago that horizontal stripes would make me look like the Michelin Man. But then I became enamored with the idea of sailor shirts—the marinière that almost every Frenchwoman owns. Apparently, the Breton shirt was officially created and introduced in 1858 as part of the uniform for French sailors; the thought was that the distinctive knitted shirt would allow anyone who fell overboard to be located more easily. So practical yet so chic! Lovely Audrey Tautou wore one in “Coco Before Chanel“:

Audrey Tautou channeling Coco Chanel.

Another Frenchie, Jean-Paul Gaultier, has made it his trademark:

Jean-Paul Gaultier showing his Breton stripes

Even Naomi Campbell looks positively serene wearing hers at the beach:

Striped sass? No, Naomi looks calm and casual

Well, I slowly began to throw caution to the wind and before long have amassed my own little collection of navy tees and nautical tops:

Seeing stripes, a novelty for my wardrobe

Most of mine are from J.Crew, Banana Republic and L.L.Bean. However, if you want to ramp up the authenticity, check out Petit Bateau, Saint James, and Armor Lux. Peter Beaton also makes a classic. And if hipster-meets-traditional is more your speed, consider Jean-Paul Gaultier for Opening Ceremony.

Looking back, a striped tee would have been more appropriate for my last seafaring excursion off Long Island:

Trying to keep her steady

But this July 4th, no one will be wearing blue stripes better than Old Glory herself. Cheers!

[Optional maritime playlist: Christopher Cross’s “Sailing,” Billy Joel’s “The Downeaster ‘Alexa’,” Jamie Cullum’s “All at Sea,” and Enya’s “Sail Away.”]

Update on July 8, 2011: I was swiping through the Flipboard iPad app (love it!) when I came across this Instagram photo by David Lebovitz, an award-winning pastry chef and writer living in Paris. His website is wonderful too.