Every Season’s Trend: Leopard

It never goes away! It’s like the military/safari trend, but less annoying and more fun. I’m getting so tired of seeing magazines and style blogs saying things like…

“…this season’s military trend!”

This season’s military trend?
This season’s safari trend?!

Are you telling me that I’m supposed to treat every camp shirt and every pair of olive twill shorts as if they haven’t been shoved down my throat every single season for the last 5+ years? Well… I won’t do it. This season’s military trend is every season’s military trend, and same goes for the safari trend, too. And by the way – they’re pretty much the same trend, okay? And now I’m tired of saying the words “trend,” “military,” “and “safari” so I will cease speaking about them as of this sentence. Period.

So leopard print.

Shove it down my throat all you want, I love it. I have never once been sick of leopard print and I rue the day that I tire of its beauty. It’s classy, sassy, and kind of off-putting – if there was ever a more perfect combination of personality traits, I’d like to hear about it, but I’m not holdin’ my breath.

So leopard print everything has been around since the dawn of time, obviously, and it’s a miracle that it’s still relevant at all, don’t you think? Or is it? Leopard print has this incredible ability to reinvent itself with every new era of fashion. It’s been associated with every social class from the super-rich to the super-prostitutes and yet, it remains a family-friendly pattern. I hope leopard print has a medal or a plaque hanging somewhere because that’s quite a feat, wouldn’t you say?

I’ve been seeing leopard print paired with white lately, and I love it! It’s half slick & graphic, half Florida retirement community… but it works! I swear! Here, take a look at how Song from Song of Style works it and you’ll understand.

…See?

I knew that would help. But I’ve seen it on other babes, too!

Check out my little inspiration style file for leopard print & white:

Style Visitor

I love this! Not only does it look wildly comfortable, it also straddles the line between extremely-calculated and mish-mash of favorite pieces – it looks great!

Preppy Fashionist

I love the addition of cognac brown and olive green with this big, white, cozy sweater. Sweaters + mini skirts = one of my favorite looks.

Fake Leather

So easy & simple – I love the pop of the leopard bag! Everything else is so graphic, and then you get a big face-full of realistic animal print.
…Is that a sleeveless, white, tuxedo jacket?!

Nany’s Klozet

This girl has some serious gifts when it comes to outfit remixing – I have seen this skirt all over her blog, as well as this shirt, and yet this getup looks completely new & exciting!

Dream Outfit: Leopard Print & White

The white + leopard outfit of my dreams would probably focus the leopard on the accessories because – while I love huge swaths of leopard print, I don’t love it on myself. (Caveat: jackets are excluded from this analysis – you can never go wrong with a leopard duster or faux fur jacket!) 

I prefer my leopard-print to be… leopard-colored, if that makes sense? I don’t like the white leopard and I don’t like the super-fake-looking technicolor leopard, but whatever suits you suits you!

The Leopard: Betsey Johnson Jackie-O Sunglasses, $60
The White: ASOS Midi Pencil Dress with Belt, $42.22

What do you think of this classic combo?