We've been seeing stripes for a while now on designer runways and in stores, and they're back for spring and summer 2013. Designers have used stripes in many different ways for the season, including fat horizontal rugby-inspired stripes, vertical stripes, and chevron stripes.
Pictured above at left is a navy and white striped swimsuit by American designer Tommy Hilfiger, who traditionally favors the red, white, and blue color palette. Here the stripes are set at different angles, making for an interesting one-piece swimsuit. At center, Oscar de la Renta presents a black and white striped runway gown with horizontal stripes on the bodice and chevron stripes on the floor-length skirt. At left Michael Kors plays with another trend for spring -- the bare midriff -- in a matching red and black two-piece top and skirt ensemble, featuring horizontal stripes, which are wider on top than on the skirt.
Should petites wear, embrace, or skip stripes for spring?
Since vertical stripes enhance the appearance of height, they're the best bet for the type of stripes petite women should wear. Chevron stripes or other asymmetrical stripes can also be flattering to petites. It's usually a good idea to skip horizontal stripes, especially if they're wide.
