jungle prints...

as i was perusing my closet the other morning...looking for a particular garment...i came across a leopard print blouse i had completely forgotten about...so...needless to say...i'm excited to wear it...soon...but it got me thinking...i seem to have many choices in leopard print...some blouses...a skirt...shoes...a belt...clutch purse...a coat...why only leopard print? when it comes to jungle prints...i think i need to expand my horizons...

animal motifs are truly classic...and easy to wear...and this season...they are still hot hot hot...so...a few questions for you...do you have a favorite animal print? and what is your favorite way to wear it?

photo source

take a walk on the wild side...

i would have to say that one of the most frequently asked questions that i get...would have to be..."is animal print still in?"...um...yes...yes...and yes...i mean...let us put aside the fact that i consider it my neutral...if you look forward to the fall runway shows...animal print is here to stay...so...take a walk on the wild side...and pick your poison...



the wonderful thing about animal print...is that you really don't need a whole lot of it to make a statement...it could be a simple as...an animal print skinny belt to a "wow" pair of animal print shoes...

or maybe something in croc print? how fabulous is that??



or perhaps a handbag in zebra print?



whatever your choice is...if you haven't already done so...incorporate a little bit of the wild side into your wardrobe...it is a simple way to be a little bold...

but whatever you do...no head to toe coverage in animal print...meaning...don't do the animal print handbag that matches the shoes...that matches the belt...that matches the hat...remember...a little goes a long way...

what is your favorite animal print? and how do you incorporate it into your wardrobe?

patterns patterns patterns...

patterns can speak volumes...they can be bold or demure, sublime or ridiculous...

they can even convey different interpretation of the law...

narrow stipes? banker...
broader pinstripes? gangster...
broad stripes? convict...

they can camouflage (the soldier's fatigues) or announce (the tourist's hawaiian shirt)...there are "no-pattern" patterns, like the subtle striping on a shirt or the small arrows of a herringbone tweed, which add texture to a garment...bold patterns, often found on bathing suits, can diminish or accentuate lines of the body...larger patterns will tend to make you look larger; smaller ones do the opposite...vertical lines elongate; horizontal bars widen and shorten...

they can be used to distract - a patterned scarf around the neck draws the eye to the face...

but they can also call attention to flaws we might rather hide...so use patterns as you use color: as an accessory...your mistakes will be less expensive...and your triumphs? fabulous...of course...

"some people were born to push the envelope of fashion and some to lick it..." ~ duff, mtv vj

pattern types:

floral - subtle in a scarf, or wildly feminine when done up big on spring and summer dresses...

animal prints - they're wild by their nature...but we've seen so many stylish people wearing them (particularly leopard) over the decades - that they have become classics...



plaid - because distinct plaids were associated with various scottish clans, wearing them became a dangerous political statement and was once prohibited by british law...now they deorate everything from umbrellas to dog collars...



stripes - horizontal, they seem nautical...vertical, they are more businesslike...while they can look fresh or refined...be careful not to cover yourself in them...stripes are tiring to the eye...



polka dots - comical when large, demure when tiny...they are best used sparingly - on silk scarves for example...as they can attract a lot of attention...