Animal print is the trend that refuses to go away. I have written about this trend so much, not only here on the blog but also as a fashion journalist. For many it is the sartorial gift that just keeps giving. It’s a trend I personally have always embraced. While it may carry the connotations of the busty barmaid aka Bet Lynch, animal print, if chosen carefully doesn’t have to be trashy.
Last week I was out for coffee with one of my closest friends who is the queen of animal print. Anything with a bit of leopard and she is all over it. On that particular day I was donning one of my fav shirts from The Kooples. It’s a red and black animal print shirt with a chunky black plastic zip – sounds dodge but trust me it’s fab!(see pic above) My leopard print loving friend, whilst wearing a cardigan in said print, declared how she was falling out of love with all things leopard in her wardrobe which is practically everything. I totally understand her dilemma. It feels as though everywhere you turn there’s leopard print. And with designers like Tom Ford and Gucci sending prints from the wild down the runways taking inspo from the jungle is set to stay.
So with animal print reaching saturation point it’s time to take a fresh approach to incorporating the style into your look. Leopard seems to be the predominant of the print so taking a step back and looking to cow print or the funky monochrome look of zebra to a simple snakeskin will soon solve any lack lustre feels towards the trend. Using accessories is also a great way to shake up a tired look. A faux pony skin bag or taking another of the seasons hottest trends, the hair clip in your favourite animal print will create a trend worthy look.
Here are five key pieces to help refresh your animal print look.
As mentioned above I love The Kooples. You could say I have a slight obsession with the label so much so that the manager of the consignment in Brown Thomas knows me. With that said a post on animal print could not go by without a Kooples piece; it’s a label that knows how to create a chic animal print look.
Accessorise with a snakeskin mule this spring/summer.
Shorts in all shapes from Bermuda to short, short are having a sartorial moment this spring/summer.
A silk scarf has a certain Parisian quality that brings chic to any outfit.
I love the mix of polka dot with leopard in this shirt. Taking the shirt option brings just the right amount of animal into your look.
Happy shopping! I would love to hear how you incorporate animal print into your style x