As the weather gets cooler and the sun starts setting before 5 p.m., it’s become imperative for my mental stability to cheer myself up with some beauty treatments. And when the clocks changed this weekend, I immediately decided to book a manicure to partake in a fun fall nail trend and try to forget about the cold months ahead. After debating between the polka dot nails that have graced every celebrity’s fingers all summer, I decided to lean into a cozier option—the striped sweater nail design—to match my cold-weather wardrobe.
The striped sweater nail trend looks complex, but it’s actually super simple, especially if you’re going to a nail tech (and in that case, save this article for ideas when they ask what design you want and panic ensues because you didn’t plan ahead). It doesn’t take much more skill than a French manicure. No intricate designs necessary—just simple horizontal stripes on stripes on stripes.
My nail artist painted on three or four rounds of colored lines, curing each one under the lamp before moving on to the next to prevent smudging. It’s basically like swiping on multiple French-style lines across the nail to create the striped sweater effect.
And there's no wrong way to execute the striped sweater nail trend. You can go for all-over stripes, a straight French tip, or an arched finish. Then simply choose your favorite fall nail polishes, and get ready for the chicest nails of the season. Keep scrolling for some more striped sweater nail inspo to bring to your next appointment.
Jasmine Hyman is the Assistant Beauty Editor at Cosmopolitan, where she writes about the latest beauty trends and must-have products. Her most prized beauty possessions are a meticulous skincare routine and salon blowouts. You’ll also likely find her in bed reading a good book or endlessly scrolling TikTok (spoiler: it’s usually the latter) while listening to Harry Styles’ entire discography on repeat. Follow her on Insta to be inundated with pictures of her meals.
