Everyone’s favorite queen-bee Gossip Girl, Leighton Meester, wowed the crowd as she walked down the green carpet in a dramatic black and white striped dress. Leighton wore a black and white, striped Louis Vuitton dress with Brian Atwood red mary jane platform pumps. This outfit is sophisticated and playful, as she pairs the striped dress with bright shoes to add a youthful look to a black and white combination.

Stripes are no longer something to fear. If worn correctly stripes won’t add width but can make an illusion of a slimmer physique. The stripes on Leighton work with her body as the designs go in different directions to focus the eye on the ruffles, whereas harsh thick horizontal lines can be tough to pull off.

Leighton Meester’s fabulous outfit costs thousands, but I found a similar style from Topshop.com that uses different stripe directions to create a smooth, slim line.

Stripe Origami Jersey Dress, www.topshop.com, $70.00

The gather of fabric on the shoulder makes the torso lines look diagonal creating a slimmer look much like Ms. Meester’s outfit.

The Origami Jersey dress can be dressed up or dressed down for class depending on the shoes you select. For an outfit for class I would pair the dress with bright pointy toe flats or simple sandals. Take the dress right into the evening by pairing it with bright sky high heels giving you an instant sassy outfit.