Believe it or not there are a few guidelines for who wears certain stripes best. Not saying that you are only allowed to wear any one kind but just like we all know all clothes aren't for everyone, the same rule applies when talking stripes. Just be aware of what suits you and your body.
Big stripes, little stripes, thin stripes, thick stripes, vertical stripes, horizontal stripes...the list of the varieties of stripes can go on for days! Some of today's hottest styles feature some type of stripes because they can be worn in so many ways. However, which is the right stripe for you? Have you ever thought about it?
The first and most important key to the RIGHT stripe is: KNOW YOUR BODY TYPE. Even though you may see a cute dress that happens to be striped, will you look good in that dress? Just because it is cute and comes in your size does not mean that it is the dress for you. Are you a more curvaceous woman or a little bit leaner? All of these things play a role in finding "your" stripe. By NO MEANS, is it being said that you can only wear a certain type of stripe or that you will only look good in one thing, just be aware of what makes an outfit neat no matter if you are the size of a supermodel, shaped like a coke bottle, or a little more full figured.
Some women can probably pull off a few more looks just for the fact of how clothes are made and the fit but word to the wise for the full-figured try to pay the most attention to avoid horizontal stripes and focus on vertical, especially if one of your best features are your hips. Horizontal stripes are already going in the left and right direction so sometimes they can create the illusion that you are wider than you are which is not necessarily a good thing. For taller/leaner women it's the opposite. Vertical stripes can sometimes be your enemy. If you are a taller woman with the common thought of "looking too tall", then avoid them. Just as horizontal does for wider figures, vertical does for longer ones. They visually extend your body. For a short woman, this may be what you would like, to look a bit taller. Put your body into perspective by both height and width before making the purchase. No matter how big or small.
Another thing to pay attention to other than your shape, is the stripe itself, how thick is it? Even though you have traffic-stopping hips does NOT mean to not wear any horizontal stripes altogether. Thin horizontal stripes will most likely look neater than thicker ones. Extra- thick horizontal stripes (such as only 3 stripes on one skirt) are also doable for the thicker woman. This is because it looks more like a color-block instead of just outright stripes.
Color is the least important characteristic to pay attention to with stripes just for the simple fact that they go with so many things. It can be done with other patterns as well. The most popular is the black and white stripe. They can easily be paired with a solid. Also, the thickness of them can be any width and they are suitable for almost all body types (with all other factors in mind.) The color of the solid is more important in the pairing than of the stripes. However, NOT ALL COLORS GO WITH ALL STRIPES, this includes black and white ones as well. We all would like to add a "pop of color" but keep in mind that you still must "pop" with the RIGHT color.
