Animal Print Packs a Punch

But how hard the hit is up to you

 I’m sure you’ve noticed that animal print is one of the biggest trends for fall/winter 2019. In our Toronto boutique and Oakville boutique it has been a hot print.  Hopefully, you’ve picked up one or two pieces already, but, if you haven’t, I highly recommend you do. And, really, while it may be more popular some years than others, animal print is a perennial trend meaning that it always comes back around.

Animal print makes a strong statement: it’s powerful and sexy with an undertone of subtle aggressiveness; however, these strong qualities are uniquely tempered by its playful spirit. That said, animal print attracts attention and when wearing it you’re going to get noticed. Fortunately, there’s plenty of styling tricks to modify the level of attention in accordance with your personal comfort level.

In general, smaller prints are dressier while larger prints give off a more casual vibe. We’ve got plenty of both in buttery soft fabrics and colours ranging from warm (brown and gold) to cool (black, white and grey).

Basically, the print, fabric and silhouette will dictate whether to dress it up or down. For example, this Chris and Carol puff sleeve, leopard-print top is dressier because of its smaller print and puff sleeve. As you can see, it pairs effortlessly with dark denim and heels. For a chick and sophisticated look, try wearing prints in this colour palette under camel coloured coats.

 And for those of you who think that animal print and chic sophistication are mutually exclusive, check out this pic of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis wearing a leopard-print coat circa 1962. In fact, the former first lady and fashion icon is often credited with igniting the leopard-print trend.

Our Chris and Carol leopard-print tank invokes a different vibe than the Chris and Carol puff sleeve top featured above. While it’s made from the same super soft fabric (95% polyester & 5% spandex), and has a similar loose-fitting, drapey cut, the larger pattern scale and bolder contrast between colours give off a more casual, playful vibe. Not to say that you couldn’t dress it up by throwing a black (or hot pink) blazer over top, but my favourite take on it is to style it under one of our Mauritius leather jackets with some subtle pops of neon for an edgy rock star vibe. Think colourful accessories like a hot pink purse.

 

These YMI cheetah-print jeggings also have that edgy rock star look. They have a super flattering fit and will pair effortlessly with your basic black tops and sweaters. You can also easily dress them up or down depending on the occasion.

As we head into the colder months, most of us are looking for comfy, cozy sweatshirts that also look stylish.

Fortunately, we have plenty of leopard-print sweatshirts that are both comfortable and stylish. Our Enti sweatshirts are so soft you’ll never want to take them off. Trust me, you could sleep in them ‒ they’re that soft. And speaking of sleeping, we also have fabulous PJ Salvage leopard-print pajamas in store. So, get comfy, get cozy and leave the great outdoors to the snow leopards.

 

 Written by Shawna Wynne