Shoe designer Christian Louboutin is reviving the stripe for the summer. And he’s not alone. Last year Jimmy Choo, also created a lady’s shoe, of crisscrossing straps, with zebra print. And Minnie Mortimer is just one fashion designer showcasing the striped dress for the season.

The black and white stripe never goes out of style. Just as the modern, Helvetica font has proved so versatile in the hands of the typography, so the stripe can go with anything in apparel. It is at once gender-neutral and totally sexy.

Bold stripes, colored in citrus, embody a youthful exuberance. Bold black and white stripes are always playful. The striped dress or lady’s shoes. Totally hot. The gentleman’s tie, with its diagonal, uniform, stripe. His suit with pinstripes, his blazer with wide, even stripes. Totally stylish.

What is it that stripes evoke? School uniforms? The school tie? The Beatles crossing the “zebra crossing” on Abbey Road? Essentially, it reminds us of youthful, frivolous, carefree times. Always hot. Always cool. Ever hopeful.