Wild Thing
22:19:00
Previously seen only on busty soap opera barmaids, nightclub Lotharios and The Flintstones, animal print has seen a huge resurgence in womenswear over the past few years and men are finally getting in on the act. It's the glam rock appeal (think Tiger Feet 2013) that seems to be the essence of the trend.
I am intrigued but a little cautious of the look so I've a few "safe" suggestions at the bottom of the post if you want to experiment too.
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| Versace AW13 Fur, zebra and giraffe! |
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| Burberry Prorsum AW13 Don't be a catwalk copycat! You don't have to wear it exactly as the model wears it |
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| Louis Vuitton AW13 Striking accent over a simple sharp look. (I'm still afraid to wear that much black though) |
The key is to make the sure the print is either an accent or focal piece, it can't be your entire outfit. Work from a black base for some edgy style, combine a graphic tee with your favourite jeans or use a detail on footwear to invigorate a conservative outfit.
Leopard print is currently the big story but I think zebra makes for a bold alternative.
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| Blood Brother Safari Sweatshirt £44.00 |
Keeping the print to the sleeves stops the pattern becoming overpowering.
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| River Island Zebra socks £3.00 |
Sneak these into your work wardrobe for a wee flash of cheeky style.
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| Zara Zebra Foulard £22.99 |
I have to confess I didn't know what a foulard was when I saw this on Zara's website (They've since renamed everything scarves). It's simply a light weight fabric scarf, just wrap it up.
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| Converse All Stars Snow Leopard £54.99 |
I have already established my enduring love of Converse and think these faux fur delights are a fun way of introducing the print without too much effort.
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| Topman Leopard Sleeve Bomber Jacket £35.00 |
Bomber jackets are back with a vengeance this autumn. Even if you don't want to try the trend, invest in a bomber jacket for a great casual staple.
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| Zara Bones Tee £19.99 |
I love the Versace-esque print. The graphic design is enough of a statement, don't try and juggle too many trends.
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| Topman Faded Leopard Printed Sweatshirt £28.00 |
The graduated ombre effect softens the print and is slightly more conservative introduction to wearing print.
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| BooHooMan All Over Leopard Tee £12.00 |
I've blogged about this top a few times and I still love it. Again, let this beast of a tee do all the work and keep the rest of your kit relatively simple.
The abstract pattern and rich wine colour makes this a bit less obvious.
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| BooHooMan Leopard Pattern Jumper £18.00 |
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| WeSC at River Island Leopard pocket tee £30.00 |
I had toyed with the idea of throwing in a few accessories, but if you are not brave enough to wear the print, don't give it a half-hearted attempt with a wallet.
This graphic style is not for everyone, but I personally prefer it over the other current camouflage trend. While camo can be interpreted as inherently more masculine, I think the style safari is more adventurous. If you can't have fun with your clothes, why bother?
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