Are horizontal stripes flattering? It is an ongoing style debate. Some say yes, some say no, and some say the answer is very dependent on body type. I believe that everyone can wear the right kind of horizontal stripe. They come in all widths and colours and the tops themselves come in countless silhouettes. It’s a question of selecting the most flattering combination.

There are three main things to consider:

1. Stripe width: I’ve found that a fairly narrow jailbird stripe, say a centimeter wide, is universally flattering. Super wide stripes tend to look like rugby jerseys and narrow stripes make you feel dizzy.
2. Stripe contrast: Stripes in strong contrasting colours are a lot bolder than stripes in monochromatic shades. Contrast in general is a personal preference, but the bolder the stripe, the more careful you need to be.
3. Stripe regularity: Some designs distort the effect of a horizontal stripe across the body and this is usually more flattering than a perfectly regular stripe.

The Michael Kors top (above left) is a good example. The stripes are just over a centimeter apart and the icon circle distorts the flow of the stripe, creating some interest and giving the eye pause. But the pairing of black and white stripes is very bold. Too bold for some, and this top would have also looked great with a subtle grey and black stripe.

The stripes on the Free People cardigan on the right are much wider and I usually don’t find them as flattering. But the contrast between the stripes is less distinctive, AND the pattern has been broken up with the effect of front waterfall ruffle, AND you can wear the top open which accentuates your long lean line. These details make all the difference.

I guess at the end of the day, you either like stripes or you don’t. If you do, you’ll find ways to make them look flattering. If you don’t, you needn’t bother.

Heel heights have been soaring for several seasons. It’s reached the point where three inch heels are considered average, as opposed to really high. Walking in anything with a heel higher than three inches is a challenge for me. But even if I could glide along with the best of them in higher heels, I’d still hold off from wearing them. Shoes and boots with four to five inch heels look off to me somehow. Distorted. The foot is so unnaturally arched that it looks unattractive.

As pretty as these peds are (and they’ll certainly give you extra height) I can’t help but think that they’d look better with a lower heel. From an aesthetic point of view, I like the visual impact of three inch stacked heels best. The foot is arched but does not look distorted at this height. For comfort, I like one to two inch heels best.

Am I alone in thinking this way about the aesthetics of heel heights?

I looked at the new items coming into Nordstrom’s range a few days ago and there it was, the Pantone palette for Spring 2010. Of course, this is really nothing more than self-fulfilling predictions in action — the trend houses predict it, so Nordstrom does it, so the predictions come true — but its still fun to see it hit the stores so soon after I posted. I do like Nordstrom’s slightly more saturated interpretation of the trend in these items.

Goodbye black and grey. Hello Turquoise, Coral, Violet, Aurora and Amparo Blue. I’m ready. Are you?

I guess that the answer to this question depends on the style and colour of your hairstyle, and the amount of work you put into styling it each day. I put the same amount of effort into my hair each day so that part remains constant. I have my short pixie crop cut and highlighted every six weeks. A little trim, a few foils and I’m out in an hour and 15 minutes. Quick, painless and very effective.

But my hair does not look its best straight after the appointment. It always looks best two to three weeks into the cut. It’s as if the style has to settle, lie a little flatter against my head, and grow into shape. Week four is still pretty good. But by week five I’m frustrated with the heavy bits and it starts taking longer to style. By week six I’m climbing the walls desperate for another hair appointment.

Does this happen to you? How often do you have it cut and styled and when in the cycle does it look its best?