Animal prints are one of those fashion statements that veer wildly back and forth between Bet Lynch Bar Maid and urban sophisticate. They’re currently enjoying a revival and I say “Woo!” to that!

Animal prints can sometimes be tricky to pull off, and need the right attitude. If you’re blonde then you need to be careful to keep the look classy rather than brassy, but brunettes and red heads need to work less hard.

While animal prints currently enjoy their moment in the sun I have some tips to help you wear them for any occasion.

WORK

Yes, really. Now my head says that the easy to wear animal prints for work is to stick to subtle accessories teamed with black. A pair of leopard print shoes or a zebra scarf is an easy way to wear this to work without turning too many heads.

However, if you’ve got the guts and your office isn’t too conservative I think we can do WAY better than that!

Take one stand out item in a print, but stick to tailored styles and keep the rest of your outfit neutral for a work look that’s bold, but still professional. Just make sure you’ve got the attitude to carry it off!

Animal Print – Work by Retrochick featuring Salvatore Ferragamo bags

REST

For college, shopping or lounging around eating chocolate and watching TV then an animal print cardigan is great piece to add some interest to your outfit without actually having to make an effort. Sling it over jeans, jersey dresses or leggings for quick and easy style.

I think the red trim on this Miss Selfridge cardigan has a bit of a punky beatnik feel, so wearing it over a roll neck with skin tight jeans and pumps feels a bit rock n roll.

Animal Print – Rest by Retrochick featuring French Connection accessories

PLAY

For evening you can carry off pretty much anything if you’ve got the attitude, but I would recomment picking animal print for either an accessory OR a dress, not both unless you want to be shot by poachers.

Normally I’d probably stick to black if I was wearing a leopard print dress, but I couldn’t resist picking up on the purple stripe in this amazing DVF dress and adding a purple clutch and shoes.

Animal Print – Play by Retrochick featuring Diane von Furstenberg dresses

header image by wwarby