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I'm currently on the fence about what fabric to use in making Colette's Meringue skirt.  I was thinking about doing stripes... but I don't know if the vertical stripes are generally a flattering direction (not as opposed to horizontal but just in general).  I know the example in the Colette sewing book is vertical stripes as well, but I wasn't sure if it worked because the stripes were so subtle.

Here's my fabric, and the image of the skirt from Colette's book.

I'm just wondering what your opinion is.  I could always use the fabric for the ginger skirt, but I've just been at a loss in finding something suitable for Meringue, aside from solids and busy florals.

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According to Adele P. Margolis, vertical stripes can actually make a garment appear wider than it really is where as horizontal stripes can make a garment look skinnier. It has to do with how your eye sees the spacing between the lines and the lines themselves (a straight horizontal line is uninterrupted, so to the eye a group of horizontal lines can look skinny where as the vertical lines create bars of space, which can appear wider. Does that make sense?). So I'd maybe keep that in mind... 

The fabric is super cute, though!  

Thanks for confirming my suspicions!  I was worried that would be the case - I think I'll save the fabric for a version of Ginger instead. I need to go shopping at my local fabric stores to see what else inspires me for Meringue.

Great points on the stripes Tina, do you think the width and spacing of the stripes could also affect the illusion?

I recently made a skirt placing the stripes on the diagonal, and had them meet in a point at centre front and centre back. It worked a treat, and I think it's one of the most flattering skirts I own now! Perhaps you'd like to try this Christine?

Absolutely. Thin and closer together is going to look different than thick and far apart (or just thick,  or just far apart). It's less about the strip it'self and more about the thickness of space between stripes. 

 

I think it will work well, especially with the circles repeating the scalloped hemline. I might make the skirt a bit longer (maybe just to your knees) because of the intense blue stripe but that is up to you.

as long you balance with a shape/colour on top it doesn't matter.

I have been debating that very same thing actually!  I love the vertical stripes but I have been wanting to make this in a solid fabric that has some texture to it.  Maybe a linen look or tweed would be nice?  

Thanks for everyone's feedback! I ended up doing the stripes at angles that meet in the middle on the Colette Ginger skirt.  I'll attempt stripes on the Meringue one day, but for now I'm really happy with how this fabric turned out on the Ginger skirt.

I posted more pics and a closeup of the detail on my blog: What's Up, Cupcake?

This looks great! It turned out really well :)

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