Whether slinky python at Yves St. Laurent and Gucci, playful zebra at Michael Kors or glam leopard at vintage shops, animal prints have earned places in the hearts and closets of clotheshorses regardless of age, income or minimalist tendencies.
While many eras have featured great animal-print designs, the past few seasons have provided especially clever takes on creature-inspired wardrobe choices. The mid-to-late ’90s was a golden age of animal prints, and the aughts are primed to keep the trend going. Women have fallen in love with animal prints because they add personality to an outfit, and that personality comes across as strong, sexy and confident.
Strong, sexy, confident women are the ones the designers want to dress, hence the collections full of animal prints. Shoe virtuoso Manolo Blahnik considers animal prints a neutral and includes some in every collection. Design duo Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana are such fans of the wild motifs that everything that crosses their sketch pads, from straw bags to baroque chairs, seems to receive a smattering of something exotic.
When designers and shoppers agree so strongly on a design element, the challenge becomes making the look your own in a sea of too many choices. (Not all of which are good–as Rosina P. Rothman, editor in chief of Modern Lounge magazine puts it, “There is nothing worse than bad leopard print.”)
Richard Settlemire, well-traveled co-owner of the Oak Street boutique Chasalla, offers some observations on how different women wear wild prints.
“In Chicago, people wouldn’t wear print on print. They’ll work a great piece into an outfit,” he says. “In Europe they’re wearing head-to-toe print. It’s loud, but that’s the look they’re trying for.”
For the single-piece approach, jean-cut pants in leopard, tiger and zebra are fast becoming a way to juice up the standard pants-and-a-turtleneck look. And as we move into warmer days, swapping the turtleneck with a vibrantly colored polo shirt makes for a terrific Palm Beach/Euro look. Leave the polo untucked and complete the look with a pair of breezy slides or thong sandals.
Accessories are among the best ways to personalize the jungle-inspired look. Giraffe handbags seem to be tucked under more and more fashionable arms these days, and for those who can’t imagine wearing a python skirt, a brightly colored python bag is a bite-size version of the trend. Beach bags are expected to turn up in zebra, zebra and more zebra, which, with its graphic appeal, pairs beautifully with nearly every primary and bright color.
Be bold, be glamorous, be subtle, but most of all have fun with these prints. Feel good about splurging on a great item. The appeal of animal prints has endured for decades, so your seemingly cutting-edge purchase this season might evolve into your daughter’s collector’s item in 2030.
