When I was growing up it was reinforced time and time again that stripes were only for slim girls. It was like one of the most unattractive things I could wear were horizontal stripes. The moment I even dared try a stripy top on it was almost like I was scared to look in the mirror because I was going to turn into an elephant… or even worse… I was going to be a FAT GIRL IN STRIPES. (Oh sorry… I really should have whispered that right?) But seriously, I’m at the end of my twenties and I can’t believe I only embraces the pattern a couple of years ago. One of my favourite things to wear at any time of the year is a simple stripe top or dress. I actually feel epic in stripes and.. not that it matters.. but people always seem to compliment me. Maybe they don’t see many bigger women breaking the fashion rule. Or. Maybe. It’s because that fashion rule was actually a load of crap in the first place. Anyway, I want to share my love of stripes with you and here are some amazing style queens who have embraced the stripe and I think they look fabulous. Use this as inspiration, motivation or for pure admiration.
Sarah Rae nails the plus size casual dress nail on the head. Simple, comfortable and it’s one big load of stripy fabric which looks casually chic. This is one of my favourite ways of wearing stripes. Go oversized and feel the comfortableness. Oh are those horizontal stripes? Hell yeah!
Yes! yes! yes! break the fashion rules. Screw the fashion police. The beautiful Mo puts stripes and florals together in this outfit to basically just embarass the rule book. I love this outfit. It all goes together like a work of art.
Another stripes and floral ensemble but reversed. The striped shirt and floral pencil skirt make for a slightly more casual work outfit and it really just screams ‘look at me being so stylishly effortless‘. The stupid shirt is timeless don’t you know. Well, Assa knows it and works it amazingly.
The doll that is Kiah put a different spin on the stripe thing for me. Wearing my favourite block colour she accessorised with this faux fur striped scarf and I love it. It’s an eye catcher for sure and seriously one of the best uses of stripes ever. Yes. Ever. It’s a simple tool… if you don’t want to put yourself into the realm of a full on stripy outfit – add something like this and you’re there. I want it.
Bold stripes win in my book. Just look at Cynthia and how this amazing dress skims over her. All that rubbish about stripes being ‘unflattering’ who even came up with that word? That sentence. I see Cynthia in this dress and I’m just like wow. I want to look like THAT! These are the images I wanted to see growing up. I literally wore my first stripy top a couple of years ago in my mid twenties for fear of stripes making me look bigger. Oh Wow. Imagine… look BIGGER! How awful! (sarcastic sentence). But this is what we need to see. Women who are confident, bright, beautiful, fashionable and… well… wearing stripes.
Last but by no means least, this is Aarti. A very inspiring person to me for so many reasons. I love how gentle she comes across but this outfit has some real attitude to it. I feel like it’s a stand against everything we, as plus size women, are not told to wear. But Aarti and her body positive ethos shows how amazing you can look if you just try that outfit you were always told not to wear. This stripe crop top is just perfect.
Have you owned your stripes? Tag me on Instagram to let me see your take on breaking the apparent fashion rules.
