Q. I'm a size 14 and have been for years. It's not so much that I'm fat. I'm just big, that's all. And I want to look nice. I saw a beautiful striped dress in a window the other day and thought to myself, "If someone would make me a dress like that, it would be heaven itself." But I always heard that large women can't wear stripes. What do you say?
A. The stripes myth came about when designers decided it was easier to make rules than to make clothes for large women. The fact is that larger women should be able to wear almost any fashion. The trick is in getting the right-fitting clothes made especially for big figures. Big can be beautiful. It's just a matter of tailoring.
Firstly, horizontal stripes should be avoided because they aren't the most flattering style. It's certainly true that horizontal stripes aren't exactly slimming, but I think it's a bit of a myth that they make you look bigger. It very much depends on the width of the stripe - the narrower the better - and the colour. It's harder to get away with bright red and white or dramatic pink and black if you want to look smaller on top, and probably safer to stick with a darker colour like a deep blue banded with white; the best way to wear stripes is on a vest, with very thin, vertical stripes.
Generally stripes are hard to wear on the bottom half. You need the confidence to wear them because they are so eye-catching. But put some thought into choosing the correct pieces for your age and shape and everyone can cut a dash in sharp lines. It depends how you do it. The neons are hard to wear simply because they are quite high fashion and as you get older you slide into a more classic style.
If you choose reds, burgundies, navies and blacks with white stripes, that can look really good with other pieces in your wardrobe - dressed up or dressed down - maybe with jeans. Blacks and silver also look great in the evening.
It's quite hard to wear stripes, so it's best not to wear more than one stripe at a time. Unless you are going for the deliberately clashing look, team it with something simple. And if you still draw the line at the new fashion, get the look without the risk with accessories. A cute bag can help you break the monotone mould without going all the way.
