Takeover Tuesday- How to Wear It: Animal Print

 Happy Tuesday, biiiishes!  It'd probably be happier if it were Friday, but we can't win em all, right?

So if you haven't noticed, today is a Takeover Tuesday here at Frikken Duckie.  Takeover Tuesday is where I feature a guest post from someone looking to expand their blog/website/company/writing skills.  I love to support new bloggers so if you would like to be featured on an upcoming Tuesday, please feel free to contact me at frikkenduckie@gmail.com.

Today's guest is Olivia (olivia.golding00@gmail.com).  She doesn't have a blog yet, but she's got awesome fashion sense and she's here to share a little "How to Wear It" tips on this season's animal print trend!

 

How to Wear It:  Animal Print (without going overboard)

If there was one look I really fell in love with on the spring/summer 2013 catwalks it was animal print. Not just your standard leopard print pattern that you get on everything from coats to bags and shoes, but the new, exotic and exciting animal prints that experiment with strange and unusual colours and push the boundaries when it comes to interesting combinations.

If you want to be really on trend this spring, it’s time to be brave and embrace neon faux snakeskin, clashing colours and exotic animal prints to ensure your wardrobe really roars in 2013. The problem is, it’s easy to go over the top with this look and you have to be careful not to take the clashing colours and patterns look too far.

Here are a few ideas for how you can get this look right if you’re trying it for the first time.

Accessories

If you’re new to the look then vibrant animal prints will probably frighten you a bit, particularly if you’re used to neutral outfits. So, work the trend into your wardrobe by introducing some on-trend accessories. Leather gloves in icy blue or mint green snakeskin will look striking next to a neutral coloured coat, while handbags looks great with a bit of faux snakeskin detailing – just ensure you stick to a hint of animal print rather than an entirely snakeskin bag.

Shoes

I suppose, technically, shoes also fall into the accessories category but they are a really great way to incorporate vibrant animal patterns into your wardrobe. Got a plain black dress? Add colourful snakeskin heels. Wearing jeans and a T-shirt? Animal print chunky ankle boots will complete the look perfectly.

Dresses

If you’re going to work this look successfully, the dress has to be a very simple shape and free from frills and embellishment. Anything too flouncy and with studs, zips or lace will be too over the top and instead, you should remember the phrase ‘less is more’. A choice of classic shift dresses or a long-sleeved bodycon dresses will look great in a vibrant animal print pattern – just add neutral coloured heels and keep your hair simple and jewellery simple as well.

Interesting tops

If you’re still a bit worried about how to introduce such a colourful and fashion-forward look into your everyday outfits then work it in a blouse or top teamed with jeans. While classic blue jeans are fine for day time, black jeans and heels look classy and smart for an evening look. Jeans will offset a very vibrant and colourful top perfectly – look for something with a fairly loose shape and keep your eyes peeled for anything with accents of this season’s leather.

Or, if you’re feeling brave, try tucking a vibrant animal print top into a fitted black pencil skirt for a fashion-forward office look. Like dresses, it’s important to keep the rest of the look subdued and neutral so that the top is the talking point of the outfit and you’ll soon be turning heads before you know it.

So, as you can see, colourful animal prints don’t have to be as scary as you might think, as long as you stick to these rules and remember less is more.

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Did you take notes?  Now you have no excuse on why you can't rock this trend!  Animal print is one of my favorite trends and I love how fierce it makes me look and feel.

RAWR!

♥ Duckie.