All leopard print is NOT created equal

exact sandals: HERE  (and ON SALE!!)

I’ll admit it, I LOVE leopard print items. (Especially shoes). But I often find it is one of those patterns that either looks really great or really horrible, and people can be afraid to wear it.

Today I wanted to break it down for you and talk about how to wear leopard print, what pieces to wear, and what pieces to avoid. I’m going to use the phrase “less than classy” to describe bad leopard print, instead of another not so nice word.

Personally, I believe leopard print should remain in the accessories – belts, shoes, bags, boots and bracelets, are all safe. Unless you’re wearing a platform stiletto, you can avoid looking “less than classy” by keeping your accessories leopard print.

I have worn a leopard print shirt before (here) – but it was a snag from the Target kid’s section, and definitely not the most mature top.

I believe it is okay to wear a leopard print clothing, AS LONG THE COLORS ARE MUTED. for example, I have a black and gray leopard print winter coat (here),a muted pencil skirt (here) , and a cardigan (here) – the muted gray and black tones keep it from looking “less than classy”. Last winter LOFT had a really pretty navy muted leopard print coat (also safe!)

Leopard print I believe you should stay away from:

• anything skintight, short dresses, pants, leggings, platform stilettos, etc.

Leopard print tends to mix quite well with the following:

• red
• black
• black and white patterns
• denim
• burgundy/wine
• olive/army green
• cobalt/royal blue

PS. Now that I’m looking back – it appears I broke my own rules with this jacket.

See below for examples:

Original posts:

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 //  7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12

I would love to hear your thoughts on how to style leopard print – definitely share in the comments.

Have a great day!

-M