Horizontal stripes, really? Oui!

Most women I know have been told (one way or another) to avoid horizontal stripes because they "make you look wide." I too subscribed to this theory until very recently.

Something about black and white horizontal stripes is very Parisian to me. I imagine wearing peddle pushers, a little beret on my head and a red scarf tied around my neck as I ride a bike on a cobble stoned street in a small, French provincial town. The bike would have a wicker basket containing French bread. Of course the bread would contribute to the wideness of my frame, more so than the stripes. Not having a bike with a basket I opted for a bike with saddle bags.


Today it was 90+ degrees with so much humidity that it felt like trying to breathe under water. It was so muggy and uncomfortable, I opted to pull on my striped Micheal Kors cotton t-shirt. I bought it at TJMaxx -- a bit before my 90 day shopping embargo -- on clearance for $14. I'll be honest, I bought it for my Burlesque dance class, but ended up wearing it to work today. I paired the casual tee with my black Banana Republic skirt (a staple every woman should have). In lieu of the little red scarf, I opted for my years old, red Guess "Carrie" pumps. The Guess "Carrie" is the greatest heel I have ever owned. Guess has carried the "Carrie" for years and each season they come up with new and exciting colors and patterns. I am dying for a pair with the multi-colored floral pattern (shown right). Maybe I will buy them in July after my 90 day experiment is up.

Speaking of shoes, I will take this opportunity to note that the only comment uttered at me today regarding my pseudo-French look was: "Wow, look at your fancy red shoes!" Fancy? Really?
I mean, Dorothy had some fancy red shoes -- mine are just leather.