Prime
Wearing stripes
Different shades of different stripes. Photo by Hassan Ssentongo.
What you need to know:
- Here to stay. Stripes cannot be considered a fashion trend in the real sense of the word, well because, they have been and will always be around, just like denim, writes Hassan Ssentongo.
This season’s play on this classic print is bigger and bolder than ever, taking us back to the 1960s, in more ways than one. From the classic white and black stripes, horizontal, vertical to the colour-blocked graphic stripes, all stripes are now in. It is high time you earned your stripes, just like all these Instagram stars who are making us drool with envy every time we open our newsfeeds.
Much as they are cool and interesting to look at, stripes can be rather tricky to wear. Horizontal stripes tend to make the wearer look wider, and a little unflattering. But, all that aside, it gets less scary, when you learn to play with proportions and stripes can seamlessly work into your work, and casual wear.
Stripes can have a huge effect on your look, from creating a slimmer silhouette to elongating your body. Let’s see some of them here.
Mixing and matching different widths of stripes, can flatter any body type, do not buy into the belief that stripes are for a certain body type.
Vertical stripes elongate the body, while diagonal stripes give the illusion of a slimmer silhouette.
Thin horizontal stripes create a widening effect, especially if you have a slim frame and wish to not emphasise it.
How to wear them
Stripe on stripe
You can wear vertically striped tops with vertically striped bottoms, however, this should be done only if you are wearing a suit (i.e. matching the jacket and trouser pants). Even at this, it is safer when the stripes are pin sized rather than bar sized; bar sized stripes give off an unflattering look to the outfit and could make you seem larger than you actually are.
Horizontally striped tops and bottoms work very well together. Employ optical illusion techniques i.e. if you’re heavier at your top than your bottom, wear slimmer stripes at the top and wider stripes at the bottom. This will give the illusion that you are proportional.
Wearing paired items like pant suits that have an array of horizontal and vertical lines put together add some diversity to your pant suits and you don’t have to worry about its workability.
For work
Pairing your classic striped jacket/ blazer with a monochrome top and skirt is the ultimate work wear combo. Also, a striped pencil skirt paired with a crisp white shirt and pair of heels is another perfect work wear ensemble.
Stripes with other patterns
Not many people feel comfortable with this combination because it is very risky. The fact, however, is stripes reach full potential and are wearable when they are paired with other patterns.
For instance if you pair a monochrome striped top with monochrome print bottoms or colours that are of the same hue the blend looks better and gives you a great overall look that does not seem mismatched.
Look thinner with stripes
If you want to make your figure look slimmer there is a very clever trick to play with outfits for this purpose. Traditionally, fashion experts have been prone to the idea that plus-sized women should avoid horizontal stripes, claiming that such stripes gave the illusion of bulk.
However, this was a very harsh mistake, since horizontal stripes have the opposite effect, as plus-sized people appear taller and more three-dimensional when wearing horizontal stripes especially.
So, whenever you have any area on your body that needs to be concealed, wear horizontal stripes.
Always opt for horizontal striped tops and avoid vertical ones, since the latter will make you look even wider and fuller. Even if you have a small tummy, vertical ones can turn it to a big one.
Horizontal stripes, on the contrary will flatter your tummy, thus making you get rid of this problem.
It is advised to pick a top in dark shades with lighter horizontal stripes, which reaches the top of your thighs.
While wearing it, never tuck the shirt in the bottom outfit, rather leave it hanging loose over your jeans, skirt or whatever it may be. To finish off the look, you can also wear a blazer, a sweater or some lovely necklace.
If you are pear-shaped, avoid striped bottoms, you will even highlight your curvy hips.
Source:http://fashionisers.com
