Stripe nails just hijacked every NailTok scroll, and summer 2025 is officially their moment. No wonder – they’re the most versatile mani trend out right now. Pick a palette, flip the direction, layer fruit, pearls, or both, go full Skittle or tone it down – whatever fits your summer mani vibe. So keep scrolling for 11 trend-savvy ways to cash in on the season’s most cheerful mani flex.
Go Full Skittle Mode
Color is the whole point of the stripe revival, so crank the saturation. Go full skittle with each nail a different color OR make each line different (pink and yellow on one nail? yes pls).
Horizontal, vertical, diagonal, zigzag or mixed – it doesn’t matter. As long as it’s giving dopamine mani, you’re doing it right.
Layer with Fruit Art
Striped base (pastel, bright, or beachy) + fruit art = the summer crossover we needed. Sunny stripes with blueberries? Pink streaks with strawberries? Yellow lines with – duh – lemon art? The cuteness! The layers!
It’s giving vintage kitchen wallpaper meets farmers market and that’s the exact summer 2025 energy.
Color-Block Your Stripes
Color-blocking but make it stripes! 2025’s power couples: pink + orange (sunset nails), pink + red (strawberry-girl summer), blue + butter yellow (Swedish-summer-house chic), or brown + pink (Neapolitan gelato, hello!).
Split nails into chunky stripes – none of that thin pinstripe energy; it’s summer and we want BLOCKS – then it with a glossy taco.
Add Beach-core Details
Stripes + beach-core = couple goals. Try pinstripes with anchor charms or fisherman-core details, nautical stripes with a starfish or seashell accent, or even stripes with pearl or mermaid-core touches. All the summer Pinterest boards are basically this vibe for 2025.
Play with Tonal Contrast
Pick a color family and max out the contrast. Baby pink base with hot pink stripes, sky blue with mid-blue lines, butter yellow with citrus stripes.
Light base + dark stripes = classic tonal contrast, dark base + light stripes = editorial. Thin lines for minimalists, thick for maximalists.
Use Neon as an Accent
Neon stripes = regular stripes that went to Coachella. Use neon strategically (2-3 stripes MAX) because we’re not trying to look like air traffic control.
If you want to take it further, layer in florals or hearts because neon plays surprisingly well with cute motifs.
Keep it Neutral
Plot twist – stripes work in whisper mode! Milky or sheer base with beige, taupe, white, or cream stripes = clean-girl summer with personality. Or, you know, when your workplace is being dramatic about nail art. Stealth mode activated.
Try Cabana Stripes
Those 1960s pool lounger stripes are having a MOMENT. Bold, evenly spaced stripes in turquoise/white, cherry red/cream, or sunshine yellow/navy.
Saturated colors, high-gloss finish that looks wet 24/7 – we’re absolutely here for beach-towel nails and throwback energy.
Mix Stripes with Dots
Stripes AND polka dots? The summer nail math is MATHING. Both are huge for 2025 so why choose?
Add hearts or bows for coquette vibes, keep it minimal for scandi-girl aesthetic, or go full rainbow for dopamine manicure energy. Chaotic good at its finest.
Stripe Accents Only
If full coverage feels like a lot, treat stripes as detail work: diagonal stripe French tips, a single striped feature nail, or micro-pinstripes hugging the cuticle.
Accent placement lets you test-drive the trend without committing your whole set – and it’s clutch when you’re tight on salon time.
Mix & Match? Add Stripes
Mix and match sets are IT and stripes fit perfectly into the look. Combine with gingham, stars, florals, fruits – whatever summer motif speaks to your soul. Each nail tells a different story but stripes tie it all together.
And that’s the tea on stripe nail art. Drop your fave look in the comments, smash that save, and and share with the squad.
SEE ALSO: Fruits and Stripes Nail Trend Is Peak Summer Nostalgia
