Horizontal stripes are always a summer staple, but too many of us avoid them because we've heard about their kilo-adding properties.
There's no need to go another season without enjoying the fresh nautical feel that stripes add to a summer outfit, though.
Here are eight quick tips for pulling off all those
stripey styles in store:
1. Choose a floaty fabric rather than one that sits rigidly against the skin. It will make the stripe appear more wavy than straight and therefore stop the eyes of those checking you out from going side to side.
2. Nautical navy and red stripes are traditionally paired with dark denim and crisp white for a resort look. Both of those options put the focus on the stripey garment, though, so to share the focus consider pairing with florals. The mix of prints will stop the eye from going straight to the horizontal lines.
3. Choose horizontal stripes that don't have white as the backing colour. A darker back colour will be more slimming.
4. Go one size up when you're buying horizontal stripes. If it clings it will make you look wider.
5. Wear stripes strategically. Choose stripey garments that have a block colour where you are most self-conscious. If it's your arms you're worried about, pick a striped tee with block-coloured sleeves. Likewise if you have a small bust find a top with stripes in this area to maximise what you've got.
6. When wearing striped dresses employ figure-enhancing tricks like cinching in the waist with a belt.
7. If you're confident, wear high contrast stripes like black and white but if you're not, try low contrast combinations, like light pink and grey.
8. If you really don't think you can pull off horizontal stripes, you needn't ignore the trend completely. Instead, wear a striped singlet to poke out from under dresses or a bold-striped tote.
