Every once in a while, we all love to add some pattern and print to all the solid coloured outfits we wear. People don’t really go bold with various prints. It’s easy to look gaudy with the wrong print or patterns. But there’s one pattern that works on nearly all occasions no matter how casual or formal: stripes. Stripes are the most common pattern for outfits. People don’t mind the vertical or horizontal lines as much as, say, the zebra print. However, even stripes can be won incorrectly, making you look like a lined exercise book. Therefore, heed the following cardinal rules of wearing stripes anywhere:
Choose Vertical Stripes Nearly Always
There’s nothing inherently wrong with horizontal stripes. However, you should only wear horizontal stripes if you are slender. Horizontal stripes may look stylish, but they can also make you look rounder and bigger as well. The advantage of vertical stripes is that they can make you look taller. A vertically striped pair of pants, in particular, can add a visual inch or two to your height. The added advantage is that the taller you look, the slender you will seem as well. Vertically striped tops can do the trick of making your torso look lengthier. If you are already tall, then you might prefer to avoid this effect, which means avoiding vertical stripes altogether.
Choose Colours Carefully
You are free to choose colours for striped outfits in any way you like. Have an eye on a set of blue silk shirts with multicoloured stripes? Go for it. However, there might be certain colour combinations you might want to avoid. For example, red and green in combination would make you look like a Christmas decoration. Combinations like yellow and purpose, or blue and orange, also will not look nice on the eyes. It may seem natural to choose fabric and stripe colours from contrasting sides of the palette, don’t. Choose stripes that generally is a darker or lighter shade of the fabric. The only contrast colour combo that works is black with any light colour.
Mix Sizes for Horizontal Stripes
There is a way to wear horizontal stripes even if you aren’t slender. Buy tops where the horizontal lines are uneven in weight. For example, thin lines could be mixed in with weightier ones. It’s stylish and also will make you look perfectly proportional.
The Rule for Choosing Stripe Weight
When you want even stripe weights, always go for thin, not thick. Thick vertical stripes don’t look good at all. It might make you look like a lamppost. You can only highly stripes if each line is narrow. Varying weight is fine but only mostly if the stripes are horizontal. It’s also best if the stripes are not huddled closely together. Look for about half an inch or slightly less space between each stripe.
About Pinstripes
Just say no if it’s horizontal. Otherwise, pinstripes can look quite stylish. However, you might want to avoid any colours other than black, dark blue, or grey.
Next time you want to wear stripes, observe the above rules and you will look great.
