Lookbook: Horizontal Stripes

Reformed by the Reformation Williams Dress; Old Navy Flip Flops; H&M Earrings; Forever 21 Bag; Express Bracelet

Here’s another knee-length dress for you! As I mentioned in my last post, this length and style dress is flattering on tall women.

Regarding the horizontal stripes―lately I’ve been doing some research because I wasn’t convinced that they make you look wider. There are some very mixed opinions out there including the theory that horizontal stripes actually make you look thinner. Crazy, right? See article here.

My verdict? I think it depends on a lot of factors (width of stripe, color, etc.), so if you like horizontal stripes, just wear them!  I fell in love with this dress, even though it had horizontal stripes.

The outfit would look better with a nice pair of summer wedges, but alas, I'm wedge-less. Let me know if you have any recommendations!

What are your thoughts on horizontal stripes?

Lookbook: Beyond Vintage Dress

Beyond Vintage Dress; Ralph Lauren Zabrina Pumps

I bought this dress from Piperlime last year on a whim and haven't worn it since. At 26" long from the waist, it's supposed to hit just at your calves. But I always found that length to be a bit awkward on me. This year I figured out that I could move the elastic waistband up higher, hence making the dress hit just at my knees. The results? Much better! I think the proportion and silhouette of the dress works well on taller women (especially pear shaped taller women like me!). It elongates the body, but doesn't cut the legs short. It nips in at the smallest point, and then flares out to hide flaws.

**I'll do a post soon about dress lengths on tall women. I'm still looking for a good maxi dress, so if you have any suggestions, please let me know!

I chose not to accessorize with this dress as I felt that the sparkly gold feather embellishment was enough. I love the simplicity yet sophistication of this look.

Also, this dress is 100%  silk. Luckily it was windy out, otherwise I would have needed a slip. The dress did tend to cling to me.

Lookbook: How to Pull Off Flats if You’re Tall

J.Crew Stretch Perfect Shirt in Classic Stripe; J.Crew Perfect-Fit Long-Sleeve Tee; J.Crew No. 2 Pencil Skirt in Double-Serge Cotton; J.Crew Viv Printed Patent Flats; Tommy Hilfiger Tote; Vintage Earrings

Flats on tall women may seem like a great idea, but the wrong pair or a poor outfit choice can make tall women look heavier than they are (it's a proportion thing). Here are some simple tips that I’ve discovered over the years:

• Flats look the best with pants, especially with straight-legged pants or pants with a tiny flare. But don’t wear flats with pants that are too long. You'll end up looking sloppy.
• If you’d like to wear flats with a dress or a skirt—especially a pencil skirt—opt for the pointed-toe styles. You’ll see in the photos above that the pointed-toe flats look better than the rounded-toe flats. That's because the pointed-toed flats have a similar effect to wearing heels. They help elongate the leg rather than cutting it off short like the rounded-toe flats do. They've also got a fancier feel than their round-toe counterparts and can help you obtain a more business oriented look. 
• If you have to wear rounded-toe flats with a skirt or dress, make sure you wear them with a shorter skirt (more than an inch above the knee), since having no heel or point can make legs look shorter. Showing a bit more leg helps to get that length back. See an example of how I pulled it off here. And come Fall, don't be afraid to pair a short skirt and flats with tights! I do it all the time. See an example here.
• Don’t wear any flats with skirts or dresses that fall below the knee—you’ll achieve a frumpy silhouette.

What do you wear with your flats?