Tuesday 19 April 2011

Earn your Stripes.

Horizontal stripes, vertical stripes, diagonal stripes, thick stripes, thin stripes, zebra stripes… you name it, any type of stripe is right for the summer months and the shops are going CRAZY for it.

The stripe is a print feared by most women, for it is renowned “allegedly” to make you look TOO fat or TOO thin; both statements that don’t exactly fill you with confidence and make you want to leap out and try it. But in my opinion if you wear the stripes correctly and confidently, we can all rock this DARING look with style.

General rules state that curvier women should avoid horizontal stripes and that “beanpoles” like me (as quoted by an ever so charming sales assistant in NEXT earlier today) should steer clear of verticals, in fear of looking like a piece of paper or in fact just vanishing in to thin air. Luckily for us, this season on the catwalk literally ANYTHING GOES, from traditional nautical stripes on a fitted blazer to thick bold statement making stripes on a maxi dress.

With stripes it is SO easy to get it SO wrong and end up looking like a deckchair on Brighton Pier, but when you get it right stripes are a super stylish way to get you noticed. Prada is an example of a designer that knows exactly how to create summer stripes in a classy, sophisticated manner. This dress fits the bill perfectly, incorporating a clashing patterned print, outlining the women’s body, letting the stripes speak for themselves and create a gorgeous hourglass silhouette

My favourite catwalk look however is this one by Moschino, who just as the review states manages to create an UBER COOL 80’s saloon style vibe using red, white, blue and of course eye catching stripes.  The attention to detail is genius and if I had my way, everyone would be sporting this blazer…I just LOVE IT.

River Island have come up with a gorgeous maxi dress, incorporating both pastels shades AND block stripes – absorbing this summers trends like a fashion sponge. For as little as £24.99 this stylish number should be making its way in to our holiday wardrobes as soon as pay day comes round.




If the thought of wearing stripes is still a little daunting, then incorporate the trend in to your accessories to jazz up your existing outfits and bring them in to Summer; it could be something as small as a chunky bangle. This canvas bag from H&M, coming in at £15.00 is fabulous for the beach and comes in a variety of BOLD colours, so there really is no excuse not to sport your stripes with style.

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