If Brigitte Bardot Had Instagram, She Would Probably Wear Gingham

At one point this summer, I took a real, hard look at the contents of my closet and wondered: Is there such a thing as having too much gingham?

My wardrobe was starting to look less like a clothing collection and more like the Central Park lawn on a warm day—and by that I mean a picnic blanket explosion. I couldn’t get enough of the print: classic red for day, black and white for night, plus yellow for a summer wedding. And it didn’t help that everywhere I turned, there were seemingly endless options, each more innovative than the next.

For example, Thom Browne showed tromp l’oeil gingham for his Spring 2017 show, Altuzarra offered matching separates of different colors, and Christopher Kane mixed it up with mesh and sequins for Resort. People were tying gingham ribbons around their ankles, à la Miu Miu, wearing everything from gingham pumps to flip-flops, and of course, donning gingham bathing suits that evoked old Hollywood actresses sunbathing at Cannes and Slim Aarons pool parties.

Reader, I bought it all. And so did Kendall Jenner.

As with anything, too much of a good thing is almost always not great. And alas, as summer rolls on, we come closer and closer to the gingham tipping-point. But the July 4th holiday weekend is the perfect time to bring out all the summer classics, and do summer style icon Brigitte Bardot proud. (Even if she’s French.) The actress even wore gingham to her first wedding, in case you needed any more convincing.

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Shop the look, below.