While we don’t quite have that crisp, fall air in Louisiana yet, fall is upon us. The leaves are slowly beginning to change, Starbucks is inundated with pumpkin spice latte orders, and we are all dying to break out the sweaters and boots. With that being said, Louisiana has not really allowed for sweater weather, which means I am latching on to other fall trends to help me make it to the cooler weeks. I recently wrote a blog post about some trends I am currently loving, but I have to say that I think my favorite right now is the animal print trend. Give me all the leopard print cause ya girl is OBSESSED! Seriously, in every online shopping venture I have had lately, when I go to my cart to checkout…there it is; the leopard print. And I do not mind it one bit. From jackets to pants to booties and tanks, I have had so much fun styling this exotic print!
I have a few tricks when I style my leopard pieces. To be honest, I pretty much consider leopard a neutral. I can pair my leopard pieces with black, white, cream, camel, beige…you know, all the neutrals in my closet. So to start, it helps to have that mindset when playing around with leopard. Do not be scared of it! Just consider it a neutral.
Most of the time, when playing around with my leopard pieces, I tend to pair my print with a good solid piece. While I am NOT AT ALL opposed to mixing prints, I just love to let my animal print be the focus of my look. Keeping my leopard pieces paired with darker neutral tones scream fall to me and can easily add a pop to my outfit. Leopard print and camel has always been one of my favorite combinations, so that is definitely what I have been flocking to! You can see in all of these looks here that my leopard is working with each look rather than competing with another print. It is classic and simple, yet one of my neutrals has spots!
Another thing I like to think about is what statement is my leopard piece making. For example, is it THE statement? Or is it assisting another piece of my wardrobe? Will it be the first thing people see? Or slightly understated? These are all questions that come to mind, and it helps when I decide what else I want to wear with it. For example, the satin leopard midi skirt you see in these pictures is THE statement. I planned everything else around this look because I wanted something edgy, but I did not want you to miss the skirt. The tank however, serves as a more understated piece. It is there to support the jacket more than anything, adding dimension to this casual look.
Finally, when I am playing around with leopard, I like to use other colors to make it stand out. During the fall season, I stick to neutral tones (oranges, greens, Burgundy, etc.) but in the print and summer I can switch those out for pink and other neon shades. This allows me to wear my leopard pieces year round. For now, I love how this burnt orange tank pairs with these shorts, giving me all sorts of fall vibes. By adding my hat, it quickly makes this look a transitional outfit for fall which I also love. As the temperatures begin to drop though, I can easily pair these shorts with a chunky sweater and over-the-knee boots which will also be a fun look!
With anything in fashion, you just need to be confident in your leopard print. There are ENDLESS ways to style it so think outside of the box! You never know what you might come up with so enjoy the process! Try to pair your print with solids like I did hear, or mix it up and throw in some plaid! That really is the best part, is that these prints allow us to express ourselves through our fashion choices, which is what makes it fun!
Photos by Darian Kayce Photography
