I went shopping with a client yesterday who didn’t have a single dress in her wardrobe, and only one skirt that is completely orphaned. She maintained that no matter how gorgeous the dress or skirt, she looks best in trousers and jeans. That all changed when she tried on an amazing purple tiered striped dress from Bailey 44 at Anthropologie.

My gorgeous client is a tallish US size 8. Her body type is slap bang in the middle of racy rectangle and adorable apple. She prefers minimal outfits and shies away from styles and colours that are overly bold. She does not like to wear anything clingy around her mid section. So when I suggested that she try this frock she had her doubts, but was willing to step outside her comfort zone. She popped on the dress and we were both immediately smitten. She looked so killer in that frock I could barely stand it. So, so, so attractive. It was our favourite item that she tried on that day and of course, the frock followed her home. 

Diagonal stripes can have a magical flattering effect. Visually, this combination has the power to both add curves AND flatten them. I can’t explain why this is the case, but it’s remarkable. Another advantage of the style of this particular dress is that the diagonal striped pieces are not joined by visible seams, but pieced together so that they overlap, adding visual texture. My hat is off to this genius designer. 

We went to Macy’s and found a black and white Vince Camuto knitted top with the same pattern and design elements. My client snatched it up in a heartbeat because, despite the boldness of the stripe, it was so very flattering. The fact that both items have great length sleeves is an added bonus. 

My client will pair her new frock with brown Franco Sarto Yonker Stretch Boots because they effectively slim at the ankle (a great look with midi skirts and dresses). Incidentally, she also has gorgeous long curly brown hair that she leaves loose. It looks spectacular with the striped dress and top!