Striped Out!!

As Blair Waldorf (of Gossip Girl fame) once said, “Fashion is the most powerful art there is. Its movement, design and architecture all in one. It shows the world who we are and who we'd like to be”, I start with my take on this brilliant form of architecture with some of my views on one of the latest trend this season.

What Spring 2013 is screaming out loud is….yes you figured out correctly….STRIPES. Anyone from the 13^th century will turn in their grave if they find out that the trend associated with prisoners, clowns, hangmen or even a zebra for that matter, is in rage this season. It was only in the 18^th century that the ever so influential pioneer of fashion, Coco Chanel set the ground for stripes, by sporting a striped top with palazzo pants.

Skipping chapters in history, cut to the 21^st century, and stripes will haunt you everywhere…from boardroom (the ever so famous pin striped suit) to night suits, from a casual brunch to the runway of renowned designers across the globe.

Even search engine giant Google saw a peak in search volumes for the query “Striped dresses” post Feb’13.The rising global interest in the trend definitely warrants fashion attention…

When it comes to donning them, most of us would be aware of the “Golden rule”, but here’s a quick refresher on it…vertical stripes enhance height and avoid horizontal stripes if you’re broad. Also famous are the “only two colors” and the “colors have to be complementary” rule, but personally speaking, I don’t think any of the two rules pertaining to colors are set in stone and should be taken seriously. I mean, spring is about playing with the colors, right?

From latitudinal to longitudinal, from chevron to diagonal, there is a whole host of varieties available. However, amongst the plethora of options, my all time favorite is the chevron stripe, a zig zag twist to the otherwise linear version. Not just edgy and classy, it suits all body types. What it adds to ones personality is a unique dose of eye catching, fresh, fun yet modern look.

So go out there, and play with stripes and colors as much as you want. Also, whatever you do, please please…a humble request; don’t mix stripes with printed or checkered fabrics unless you have suicide in mind!!!

I would love to hear from you on what stripey trend do you think is best. Please leave your comments/questions here..

And remember to put your fashionable foot forward!