I’m a big fan, personally, of stripes. They’re clean, they’re fun, they’re versatile, and anyone can wear them. Yes, it’s true! Many women shy away from stripes for fear they’ll make them look larger, but I say anyone can wear them. It’s all a matter of where, and what kind. Look at this collection of items I put together and you’ll see the many forms they come in.
Generally speaking, stripes that are larger (wider) will make whatever they’re covering look larger; smaller stripes don’t add as much dimension. If you don’t want to wear stripes on your hips, I totally get that. Stripes, particularly horizontal ones, will definitely add to your width, which most women don’t want. However, if you’re an inverted triangle shape (larger on top than on the bottom), you might want to consider wearing stripes on the bottom to balance out your wider top. For example, in the picture below, although the stripes draw your eye to her lower half, overall she appears to be balanced, shoulders and hips. The interesting thing about these stripes is that they run all directions, including asymmetrically downwards past her hips, which don’t add additional width to her shape. Because the stripes themselves are not wide, they don’t add as much to her width. (If you can, imagine that these stripes are wide, bold ones. They would add a great deal to her bottom half.)
Of course, wearing stripes in a top are easier, and they don’t necessarily have to be worn in a casual manner. Look how style blogger, Beth Djalali of Style at a Certain Age, wears this classic striped jacket over a dress and heels. (You can click through to her blog to see more photos, or follow her on Instagram at @styleatacertainage)
One of the easiest ways to incorporate stripes into your wardrobe is in your accessories, perhaps in your shoes or handbag. I especially like this tote-style handbag by Kate Spade at Macy’s – it’s a classic for summer.
You can see other examples of great ways to wear stripes on my Stripes Pinterest board.
Do you see some stripes in your future?
Thanks for reading – stay stylish!
Adena
