Wearing Leopard the Right Way

Leopard Print. I came to love this spotted (fake!) fur some time ago, when I started getting into Korean music, where I saw the artists wear it. My mom used to say: "Don't buy such a print! Or any animal print!", so I didn't. For anybody that admires it as much as I do, you must know this struggle as well: leopard quickly looks very tacky. Usually (over here) it's the loose girls wearing such prints, causing it to become a print that is frowned upon. That's such a shame, really. I listed some designer pieces of which I think display leopard in a non-tacky way. It's not that hard, because they know how to make it happen.

A loose fit can make a print look less tacky. Also, if the print is only partially on a clothing piece, it can take away the full-ness of a print. This is actually a men's shirt, so the loose fit comes naturally, but pairing it with skinny jeans gives a wide/slim effect, which makes you look skinnier. Also, with such fit, I'm not showing any cleavage or shoulder, which also takes away some of the tacky-ness.

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An unnatural color variation makes the print look more funky than tacky. Take for example these brogues by McQ Alexander McQueen. Especially when wearing these with neutral colors such as black, white and grey, they will instantly become the focal point of an outfit. It also gives more room for playing with shapes (more on shapes later). Color variations are also very fun when it comes to mixing and matching of prints, which is very hot this time around. During the summer, it was mainly mixing tribal prints, but this time, imagine an outfit made up out of only unnatural color leopard print! Creative, fun, and, if done well, very avant-garde and super eye-catching. 

Dress: Diane Von Furstenberg / Bag: Capoverzo Azzura / Ring: Meadowlark / Sunglasses: Jane Norman

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When it comes to accessories, I like to work with a simple shape. There are a lot of leo-print bags with gold chans, black straps and black leather. Unless the quality is really decent (and the decent quality shows well), these elements distract from the print and make the item look very cheap. When going for the print that seems to come straight from the leopard itself, simple shapes, like this one from Clare V, can look great with anything (hence why it is sold out everywhere), such as jeans, sneakers and sweaters. 

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Keep it subtle, like Christian Louboutin, and only have a little bit of leopard print in your items. These Athena Alta 100 leopard-print and patent-leather sandals only sport a bit of the print on the backside. A cute detail when wearing them to a party, but it doesn't become the statement part of your outfit. Other than shoes, a thin belt, bracelet or (the lining inside) trousers with a little leopard here and there also do well.

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Wear it on an oversized coat, but only because both the #mancoat (as seen at Michael Kors and Proenza Schouler) and animal skin (as seen at Balmain and Céline) are trending, according to the July/August 2014 issue of Dutch VOGUE. Such a coat gives me an oldskool feeling, especially when the print is more dark and realistic, like this Saint Laurent one. Even though about everything YSL is a keeper, these kinds of coats can probably found best at vintage stores, if you really want that vintage feeling (duhh, you bought it at a vintage store...). Make it casual with straight trousers or jeans and a plain white tee.

But perhaps the most important thing of all is to try before you buy, and not only to see if it's the type of fit you're looking for. Pair it with items that look like items you already have in your closet or just bring the clothes you are planning to wear it with. Look in the mirror and then ask yourself and your friend/mother/grandma/shopstaff if it looks tacky. What is tacky for one person might not be tacky to another. By trying it well, you avoid feeling tacky when wearing it eventually.

I'm not saying that I always wear it the right way, even though to me it feels like I do (otherwise I wouldn't be wearing it). Just give it some thought and get inspired to avoid being associated with 'that' type of loose girl (if you know what I mean). Alltogether the print can spice things up, even when there's just a little bit of it, which is why I love it so much. It's also totally trending this season, thus a great excuse to give it a try. 

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