~ Keep the stripes in proportion. If you are petite, a sweater dress with knee-to-neck wide horizontal stripes is probably not the best choice -- stick with a striped top (though a taller girl could definitely go for the sweater dress here). If you are a curvier girl, you might want to pass over the wide stripes and go for some thin ones, and keep the colors a little darker.

~ Make sure the rest of the outfit includes slimming vertical lines for balance. Pair a cute striped top with dark, straight-leg denim and a tailored, close-fitting jacket. If you are brave enough to go with a long striped piece, we like how this cardigan from Twelve by Twelve has vertical stripes on the sleeve to keep things leaner -- or try a top that mixes stripe direction to break up the lines, like this one from Charlotte Russe, for $19.99. or this plus sized option from Macy's, on sale for $29.99.