Animal print never goes out of fashion. In fact, every season and every year, people parrot, “Animal print is on trend!” But it’s the same print. If there’s anything new, it’s purely a matter of interpretation.
The question isn’t about “should you” or “should you not” own an animal print. Every fashionista must own at least a piece of this print be it a dress, a top, a pair of shoes, a scarf or a bag. The question therefore is – how do you make it right?
See: How to Wear Animal Print Maxi Dresses
Don’t match animal print if it’s large
Matching colors and prints is very common in styling. However, not only does going too matchy creates a trying hard kind’a obsolete way of styling, it’s considered a big NAY when it comes to animal prints.
Choose only one large part of your outfit that’s wild. For instance, if your top is a leopard/tiger/zebra print, let the tights/skirt/pants be non-animal. If it’s your dress that has the print, then let your shoes be plain black or nude.
… A touch of the same print on your footwear only works when the black, beige or white shade is dominant.
- Take one large animal print at a time. Christian Dior 2010
Tone your leopard print down
If your outfit is too wild, tone it down. If you wear an animal print mini dress, you can tone it down by wearing a single-colored-cardigan over your dress in color that blends well with your wild print.
If you wear a leopard print tights, for example, you can tone it down by wearing a knee-length boots in color palette that blends but suppresses the strongest shade of your animal print.
You can also decide for the color of your boots by taking a non-dominant shade from your other accessories. Again. in shades that complement your animal print.
Take a look at Whitney Port’s outfit. If she just toned it down with this Willow casual leather knee boots, she could have saved her fashionista image and avoided some OMG writers from asking, “Is it just us or is it these skinny leopard-print pants?”
- Tone down your print
Another way of toning down a large wild is by carrying/wearing accessories that steals attention such as fur purse or fancy scarf. But then, their color should always be complementary.
See: How to Wear Leopard Print Boots
Only match animal print if it’s accessory
If you feel the urge to go matchy, you can do so on your accessories provided, they don’t clash. For example, if you wear leopard printed boots, you can take a tiny purse in leopard print.
If your tiger bag is with considerable size, you can take a pair of tiger print stilettos. But hopefully, your long scarf is no longer a leopard/tiger and your head gear does not scream jungle. The key here is getting minimal.
- It’s safe to match the accessories. Christian Dior 2010
Animal print? Stay single
I don’t mean that you girls should stop searching for the man of your life [yes, he is being searched for not unless you already found him] and just stay single.
… What I do mean is that you would never go wrong if you take only a single item of animal print, either for your top, bag, shoes or scarf, while the rest of your outfit is entirely neutrals.
See: 11 Ways to Wear Animal Print to Work
I’m not certain though, if this would also work if everything in your outfit is brown – if that won’t make you look like a walking dead trunk? But give me a benefit of the doubt. You can actually go for a pink leopard bag for an all brown outfit. Let me know how it goes.
- When in doubt, stay single
Try D&G style
If you want to be effectively daring, you can try Dolce and Gabbana style. A fitting sleeveless with low cleavage top paired with black and white polka dots, tucked in with black booties is a fabulous look to steal.
A pair of fitting long sleeves top and below the knee pencil cut is otherwise an alternative.
- It’s take a lot to bring catwalk off the street
Notice that the top and skirt are matched [right photo] but the prints are of big patterns with light brown as the main shade. Complete the look with a pair of plain black stilettos.
Animal print and color clash
A new way to wear animal print is to team it with bright colors. Now, not everybody has the heart to apply this idea but it´s something worth to try. The key here is to go for only one single vibrant color.
One color that is best to clash against the print, and is certain to stand out, is green. There are many shades. My favorite is emerald-green, but deep green, getaway green or pebbled green are also good. And then create a match. Let your shoes be green too.
I love this style idea because colors are actually used to steal some attention from the print, a great way to tone it down.
- photo credit: http://carolinesmode.com
Animal print teamed with another print
So D&G showed us how to pair a tiger print with polka dots but fashion blogger Arianne did a more daring combination – zebra print with another bold print.
To give the two prints a good contrast, she layered between the two prints a single colored print (in the same shade as of the animal print). Also, she opted for light colors for her tights and boots to avoid looking too dark and heavy.
- To give a good definition, layer between your two prints a single-colored piece.
Have Your Say
So tell me Creative fashionistas, what are your style secrets when it comes to animal print? Do you love to integrate animal prints to your outfits? Join my facebook fanpage for more fashion conversation or subscribe to my newsletter to get updates straight to your inbox.
