Grr, Baby

Animal print is touchy.  It is so easy to go overboard, and then it goes from fashionable to trashy.  I think that tops and dresses that are just one solid animal print are too much.  For example, some thing are mixed prints, and that keeps it from being too overwhelming if all the prints are in the same color family.

I cropped out my unmade bed.  You're welcome.

This piece has elements of leopard print, giraffe print, zebra print, and also throws in some purple.  Think about this dress / tunic-that-I-can-wear-as-a-dress-because-I'm-short as a solid leopard print.  Not as cute, right?  While it seems like having more than one print would make something even busier, it actually draws the eye in various directions and keeps it from being too much.  It actually adds a degree of subtlety as each pattern is, in itself, subtly represented.

About a month ago, I had to go to a dinner with the artistic team and a reviewer for a show I had designed.  I thought, "As the costume designer, should I not look fabulous?"  A resounding yes!  It was starting to warm-up (only to get cold again the next day), so I thought a leopard print skirt would be a great choice.  Sadly, my legs need a tan like Barbara Streisand needs people.  So it goes.

2 pictures, 1 post.  I didn't crop out my mess in this one.  Deal.

Wait, is that skirt a solid animal print?  What did I just say?!  I SAID, "... tops and dresses that are just one solid animal print are too much."  I also tend to like my statement pieces to be on the bottom, like in this post, so maybe it's just me.  You'll notice I paired the skirt with a purple tank.  It is so easy to want to put black or brown with leopard print because it obviously matches and that's that.  Adding a color like purple, pink, blue, white, you-name-it, makes your outfit pop.  It also keeps the animal print from being overwhelming because, like the mixed-pattern print of the dress up there (^) it draws the eye in various directions.  Black and brown are dull and keep the focus on the print.

The tank I'm wearing is a silky material with lace and sequins... I know you can't really tell from the picture.  This adds texture, as the skirt doesn't have any sort of embellishment.  Over top, I added a loose-fitting peplum cardigan.  The looser fit and the peplum at the hips balances out the tighter fitting skirt and tank.

Wait, is that cardigan black?  What did I just say?!  I'm just full of contradictions today, aren't I?  Well, you don't want to go TOO overboard with color.  A black or brown cardigan over top of a colored top brings it all together.  Which brings me to the shoes...

Black heels could also have worked with this outfit, but I feel that would have broken things up too much, especially since the skirt is primarily tan.  Also, nude colored shoes lengthen your legs with dresses and skirts, and we all know I NEED that.  These shoes aren't a solid nude... they are various colors of tan and a snake skin texture.  Putting these with the leopard was a risk, but I think it worked.  Snakeskin is more of a texture than a print, so it doesn't take away from the leopard at all, especially since they aren't right next to each other.  I finished the look with simple jewelry... a small blingy bow-tie necklace and some dangly earrings that have a hint of pinkish-purple.

From my jungle to yours,

~VeeLynn

First Photo:

Dress ~ Love Purple, found at GoodWill (!) <-- more on this later.

Second Photo:

Tank Top ~ Xhileration (Target), A long time ago

Skirt ~ Ann Taylor LOFT, Spring 2012

Cardigan ~ American Rag (Macy's), Winter 2012

Shoes ~ Naturalizer (!) (Naturalizer.com) Winter 2012 <-- more on this later, too.

Necklace ~ my  friend ordered it for me from a Chinese website. :) Spring 2011

Earrings ~ Betsey Johnson (Macy's), Winter 2012