The American stripe starts with the tee, and the best ones look like they came from a skate shop in the 90s. The stripes are uneven, some slim and some bold, often on a pastel or washed-out base, and that imperfection is the whole point.

If the skater tee is the laid-back side of the American stripe, the rugby is the collegiate side, with broad, blocky bands and a proper collar. It is also the easiest way to work the burgundies and hunter greens of fall into a striped look. Nili Lotan's Rashida Rugby Sweater has navy and amber bands, an oversized fit and a woven twill collar. Faherty's Hometown Rugby in organic cotton runs green, burgundy and navy stripes under a spread collar, while PANGAIA's Striped Rugby Polo Shirt in Lavender Haze is the softer, sweeter take.

A striped sweater used to mean a navy and white Breton, but the American version is chunkier, slouchier and far more colorful. This is also where the quieter stripe lives, knits with the easy feel of a surf tee and a little more polish. &Daughter's Long Sleeve Slouchy T-Knit is a knitwear take on a classic tee in organic cotton, and the red stripe is the one to get.

The fun of the American stripe is that it does not need to match, so pair it with a busy print on the bottom and let the two clash a little. For fall, florals on a dark base look richest next to a bold stripe, though a lighter floral works too.

It still works with jeans and a trench, and it makes a good base layer under a bolder stripe. But the American stripe is more fun because it looks lived in, with uneven widths, off colors and a rugby collar or two. If you take one thing away, make it this: stop trying to make your stripes behave. Wear a skater tee over a button-down, put a wide stripe with a skinny one, or tuck a boxy tee into a floral skirt and add a heel. For fall, reach for burgundy, hunter green and navy stripes, and let the prints clash a little. The less matched it looks, the better it works.