14 DAY TRIAL // Animal prints are one of the season's hot trends, however, we must all be warned: it's rather difficult to put together an outfit which includes a classy animal print touch, and yet it's extraordinarily easy to get it all wrong and end up with a major fashion disaster on your hands. So, the best piece of advice stylists give us is as follows: if in doubt, do without. It really is the wisest possible philosophy in a very delicate area, and as long as you keep true to it, you'll be safe.
There are other basic rules of wearing animal prints. One would be that you should always be restrained when dealing with these prints. It's not a good idea to wear more than one pattern, and it's disastrous to wear animal prints on more than one or two elements of the same outfit. It will take away any trace of style and class and make you look tacky and even vulgar.
Also, avoid doing too much matching. Even if you find a skirt and a blouse, for instance, in matching animal prints, it doesn't mean that you should actually wear them together. One consolation to this is that this season, all animal prints are fashionable, from the classic leopard and cheetah to giraffe spots, zebra stripes, and tiger lines. Which means that even if you are only allowed one animal print item per outfit, there are enough styles of prints to avoid getting too bored with any one of them.
When it comes to animal prints, minimalism in the key. Pair up one animal print item with solid black, white, chocolate brown or beige on the rest of your outfit, or wear an animal print piece - a blouse for example - hidden under a jacket, shirt or blazer. Another fail proof recipe is donning animal print accessories, such as shoes or a handbag. If you're going for an animal print skirt, don't wear a short one as you risk looking like a bit of a tramp. Keep your hair tied back, or make sure it's sleek and elegant - you're not impersonating a lion, therefore you don't need a mane. Keep your wild side on the low and you're a sure winner.
