Animal print : why you want it, how to wear it , what to buy. #luxetoless
Animal print.
Don’t be shocked I am talking about a print!
(Don’t be afraid. It won’t bite !)
Here’s the thing with animal or leopard print.
It’s the only print you are allowed to wear. Joking not joking.
Why?
Because it’s not frumpy for a start.
Because it’s edgy.
Because in fashion we call animal print almost a neutral.
That’s because it goes with everything you own.
And when I say everything I mean everything you own that is FiFi approved!
I’m talking black, white, tan, camel and cream. And of course denim.
Animal print has all three expensive colours IN IT so it’s so easy to inject into your wardrobe.
And I am here to tell you it actually looks great in summer ( especially with white , especially with black!)
How to wear it?
You have to be careful. It can look cheap and tacky.
There I said it.
But no one wants to look like that !
So there are a few rules to keep in mind when you are wearing animal print:
1. Think about just ONE single piece in your outfit that is animal print : shoes, or a bag or a coat.
It’s pretty wild and attention seeking so you only want to wear one single piece.
It has more impact that way.
As AMY would say from Tibi: you want one, ton or none.
So choose an animal print dress or a major coat = ton
Or wear just one single piece like a pair of shoes or bag = one
That‘s how I will do animal print for summer : with slingback kitten heels or ballet flats.
Or I will wear this fabulous YSL bag leopard bag with a little black dress, slouchy black pants or head to toe white.
2. Tight and sexy and animal print is way too scary.
So make sure it’s loose and flowy and looks effortless. Modern. A dress or a blouse is so chic.
Or make sure it’s updated into new shape like a denim jacket.
3. Think table top dressing: SO keep the focus ( the leopard print ) on top.
Which means invest in animal print tops and jackets and don’t waste your money on animal print skirts or pants.
They are hidden under the table so it is a waste ( no one is looking there!).
Remember when you go for bottoms in a print then finding a top that looks great is really tricky. Quite frankly you will end up wearing some boring black top that does nothing for anyone.
Swap it around !
Invest a chic animal print blouse or tee or jacket and keep wearing all your old pants and jeans.
Note: I have chosen mainly tops here though I found a pair of fabulous shorts too ( see below)
How to style it?
Animal print is so0 chic in summer with white. And plain black. That’s the way to wear it.
So toss on an animal print bag with white jeans and a tank.
Think black tank and bermudas with animal print heels.
Or try a pretty animal print dress with flats ( to bring it down and make it casual ) or a cool animal print tee with baggy jeans. And of course for summer evenings a floaty chiffon animal print blouse looks so great with wide leg black pants and heels.
Another thing:
It’s quite tricky to make animal print look expensive ( don’t worry all the pieces look expensive below!) : on one hand you don’t want to spend too much as leopard print can be very “ on trend” but on the other you can’t be too cheap or it will look it. Eeek.
Yes, it’s about buying early in the trend : you will definitely wear animal print next winter but don’t go crazy and buying a ton of it . Invest in one key piece. Whatever the price.
Then watch it slot so easily right into your wardrobe.
Now get shopping!
check out my picks from luxe to less. And scroll down for inspo from the street style pics .
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