Remember when they told us that horizontal stripes made you look fat? By all means, stay AWAY from horizontal stripes! That golden fashion rule was ingrained into our style-psyche for years and years until large black and white horizontal stripes became the next big
trend and everyone couldn't wait to walk around looking like pseudo-Parisians everyday, causing cravings for berets and lattes in all innocent on-lookers. The new stripe trend to hit is that of the vertical black and white stripe! Scientists are now saying that vertical stripes can be a frenemy in the "looking fat" department, but runway giants like
Gucci,
Herve Leger by Max Azria, and
Ann Demeulemeester have all embraced the trend. I don't know about you, but I'd rather take fashion advice from the fashion experts! Black and white is a classic contrast combination and is only punched up more by the visually exciting look of vertical
stripes. The pattern is versatile and looks great in a lightweight wool for a structured blazer, or a gauzy chiffon for a flirty yet sophisticated day-to-night dress. Vertical stripes are also great for elongating the figure and can make legs look like they go on forever! The trick is to not wear super thin vertical stripes close together. This will cause a visual sensory overload and you run the risk of looking like a wobbly optical illusion. Stripes in varying widths is the most flattering such as wide black stripes and thin white ones for example, or look for stripes that have a slight diagonal tilt to it. If you like what you see but want to take it for a test-drive first, opt for accessories like bags, scarves or hats that feature the vertical stripe pattern. Really be a trendsetter and try vertical stripes with this spring's pop citrus colors!
