No Hiding Allowed – Animal Prints
Written by Meira Schneider-Atik
Myth: Not everyone can wear animal prints.
Truth: Animal prints can be worn by anyone as long as they’re worn just right.
Animal prints like leopard, tiger stripe, zebra stripe, and snakeskin are my favorite kinds of prints. They exude power and I love that. My personal favorite is leopard print. Animal prints are “trendy-classic” in that every so often (usually in autumn), they come into full-on style and then they fade away but they never really go out of style and so they never look dated.
The right animal print can make any wearer look great if she works with it. And animal prints are much easier to wear than most people would think.
The first thing to consider is flattery. If you look good in bold contrast, then chances are that the black-and-white zebra stripe will be best for you. If you look good in warm, earthy colors, chances are that leopard print is best for you (this is why it’s my favorite). If you look best in a hazy, blended look, then snakeskin is a good bet for you.
The second thing is that animal prints, when done in the natural colors of the animal, are very powerful and dominant and it’s important to respect that and work with it. It’s never good when animal prints (or any other prints for that matter) wear you.
Part of what makes animal prints so easy to wear is that when done in the natural colors of the animal, they go with every other color. The natural colors of the animals are classic neutrals and so you can pair them with any solid colors and they will pop and look great. Leopard with red is a classic pairing for fall but leopard looks great with greens and blues and other colors. Zebra stripe with red is also a classic pairing and looks particularly timely in winter, but zebra stripe also looks great with other colors.
The easiest way to wear animal print is in accessories like shoes, bags, and scarves. This gives you a small dose of the print and gives your look an edge without feeling overwhelming. Plus, if you wear it in shoes or a bag, you can get away with an animal print that doesn’t necessarily flatter you because the print is away from your face. Wearing animal print in a small dose also allows you to wear other prints in the same outfit as long as those other prints are also in small doses. Again, animal print is powerful and dominating and you need to work with that. This also means that one animal print per outfit is enough. Even if you want to mix in other prints, don’t mix in a second animal print. They’ll just compete for attention and they’ll wind up wearing you. Other prints, such as florals, colorblocks, stripes, and polka dots, can look fine with an animal print in small doses.
What if you want to wear your favorite animal print as part of your base outfit and not just in an accessory? It’s fine to do that but this is where mixing prints is not a good idea. When you are wearing an animal print garment, you need to leave that as the focal point. But do incorporate other solid colors into the outfit. A leopard print top looks great with a solid blue skirt while a zebra stripe skirt can look great with a solid purple top.
What if you want to wear your favorite animal print head-to-toe, as in a dress? This can be done but it’s tricky and not for the faint of heart. The animal print will draw a lot of attention and exude power and will make you stand out a lot and you must be comfortable with that. You must also be extra careful about the fit – the dress has to fit perfectly with either a blousy bodice or an A-line skirt (not both). If the fit is too snug, it will overemphasize everything.
What if you like animal prints but you want to wear them in other colors? The problem there is that this dilutes the power of the print and makes it come off somewhat unsophisticated. If you want to wear animal print but not have too much of it, it’s better to wear it in natural colors and use it in accessories for just a small dose at a time.
If you respect the power of the animal print, it will reflect back on you and make you look powerful and sophisticated.
Part of what makes animal prints so easy to wear is that when done in the natural colors of the animal, they go with every other color.
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