Thursday, August 19, 2010

The Fashionable Stripe - One Busty Gals Testimonial - For Lisa

Lisa (Respect the Shoes) noticed something in my side bar yesterday.  I honestly didn't think anyone read this stuff.  Under DISLIKES I have written STRIPES.


Smores Striped Cardi - Anthro June 2008

Please allow me to explain.  Every child loves stripes. I grew up in the Military and was taught to honor and respect the stripes.  Military officers wear stripes.  There is the Stars and Stripes.  Yummy Candy Canes have stripes.  Elves wear stripes.  Other good things that have stripes are: Zebras, paper straws. awnings, layer cakes, Tigers, Kittens, the list goes on.  I even wore stripes as a child.

Then I hit puberty.  My Mother was careful not to dress me in stripes.  As I grew older I myself learned by trial and error not to adorn myself in stripes. Somehow my life became devoid of stripes.  I remember a friend showing me her new furniture.  I hated it.  It was striped. I didn't tell her.

Holy Stripes Batman!  I had been programmed to DISLIKE STRIPES!

How and why did this happen to me?  It was drilled into me by friends, family, and the general population. 

Busty gals can never wear stripes.  Especially horizontal. I was noticeably busty at a young age.  I was mercilessly teased by boys.  Things were said to me by adult men that were inappropriate for my young ears.  I learned to downplay my obvious feature.  Stripes on anything in that general area only made the obvious STAND OUT MORE.  So I emitted all stripes from my life.

When did it all change? When I discovered Anthro.

 It was not far down the road that I discovered there are designers that have learned how to distract from the obvious and still use stripes.  The Smores Striped Cardi was the first item I purchased with stripes.  Although, draped is not the same as directly up against the chest. So, when did I discover I could really wear them plastered to the front of me? About 6 months after Anthro began to allow reviews, and I started paying attention to them.  In particular, this top that I would have passed by if I hadn't noticed the 5 star ratings.


Zig Zags and Zinnias Tee  - Anthro Feb 2010

Wow was I excited to wear this Tee. You can read my review here.  See number 24.

When I read Lisa's comment last night I realized at that point that the statement no longer applied to me. It was a Faux  Paz.  Total Fiction. Some left over burp from my warped, programmed to dislike stripes, mind.

To set everyone straight, and ease Lisa's mind that I am not a fashion degenerate, I have proof that I do in fact like stripes. Here is a line up, direct from my closet, that clears me of all charges...

Blushing Bouquet Cardi
Dreaming in Green Skirt
Faux Pocket Pullover
Natty Blazer
Lale Skirt
Lolland Sweater Dress
(sort of striped)
Rise and Fall Cardi
Splash of Color Cardi
Unfurling Fronds Dress
Cherimoya Blouse
Bouquet of  Stripes Tee

Calm Seas Skirt


Feel free to check my Likes and Dis-Likes on the Side Bar at any time.
Long Live the Fashionable Stripe, Laura (GeoInCalifornia)
http://anthroclosetchaos.blogspot.com/

7 comments:

Lisa - respect the shoes said...

Whew, I almost had a heart attack before reading this - I thought we were going to have our first blogee throwdown re: stripes! :o)

Reading your post, I think I found an indirect reason why I like stripes - I am not so "gifted" in the frontal chestal area, so most stripes work well for me!

Aw, the Lolland Striped Dress is fantastic, I can't wait to see you rock it in rotation.

Jamie - Thrifty Threads said...

Hi Laura! I received my shirts today and they are all wonderful. I couldn't be happier and I am so anxious to wear them. As soon as my dessert outfits are done, time for these fun tops. And they arrived so quickly -- I was thinking they might come Friday, at the very earliest. What a lovely surprise at work!

This is a wonderful post. I have been avoiding stripes since freshmen year, when I saw a picture of myself in a striped top and realized that the freshman 15 had all gone...to my chest! Eeek. Not good.

But since it seems that Anthro knows how to do stripes, I'll have to try them again, because my closet is noticeably missing stripes of the horizontal variety. And the freshman 15 is gone, so that should help a little too

The Calm Seas skirt is FANtastic. Too much stripe action to wear it with the Lemon Chiffon shirt? (I kid, of course!)

Bronzi said...

Funny, I have always loved stripes and the fact that I was skinny as a pole and modestly endowed made me look larger. Always had to watch them though on the lower portion of my body.

Glad you have embraced them again; they are so fun!

Chrissy said...

Off topic here, but did your beautiful coat arrive yet? Dying to hear how it fits!

Laura said...

To Lisa,

I intentionally left PLAID in the list in case you want an excuse to duke it out later. Tee-Hee!

My excuse for dis-liking PLAID. Many years of parochial school uniforms. Phooey!

And I have Scottish ancestry. The Clan is Stevens. They are probably rolling over in their graves.

I have a great story about the Lolland when I do wear it.

To Jamie,

I am so happy you got your tops. Did everything fit OK?

Please embrace the stripes or Lisa might turn on you next. Look, she's right above you in Blog land.

The Calm Seas Skirt is a Leifsdottir. I have the white gauze blouse that goes with the skirt. And I haven't worn it once this year. Hmm! What's with that.

Hi Bronzi,

Haven't heard from you in a while. Any advise and fashion tips for wearing stripes?

Chrissy,

The Phlox and Coral Coat is due to arrive UPS tomorrow. But it will be late in the evening. So I will likely post a review and images Saturday. I hope it lives up to the reviews. I'm excited. Any luck finding your Roaming Frills Cardi in Ivory? I'm still thinking about the Babergh dress. But I bought the coat, the Rennselaer T straps, and a dress, skirt and sweater just in the past week.

I must reign in the spending for the next few weeks. WIsh me luck on that will you.

Love to all my Anthro Soul Sisters, Laura

Chrissy said...

I did find that sweater! One of my readers in California put it on hold for me, and it arrived today. It looks perfect with the dress! I'm going to buy the coat myself if your reviews are great, which I expect that they will be.

hs said...

Laura, your post is so cute. It's ok to not like stripes though, as with any other personal like/ dislike! I don't think stripes are pretty, so really the only thing I own that is striped is the Field Game Cardigan (and it's cute!)

One of the greatest things about our Anthropologie community is that everyone is free to have their own likes and dislikes! So, feel free to go back and forth between liking/ not liking stripes!

warm hugs
Heidi

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