Back to the wild: animal prints

A second cup of black coffee, Sting on the background and my little hound (yet another nickname for Oscar these days) sleeping next to me, exhausted after a long happy play with a horribly noisy plastic bagel... Bliss...

Well, frankly this part has nothing to do with the post you are about to read. I just thought I'd tell you a bit about my daily life before I continue. It's all about animal prints today. They are like Marmite - you either love them or hate them. You simply cannot be indifferent when it comes to these style.

Personally, I like animal prints in moderation, just like, say, a glass good wine. Talking of which and continuing to compare... I hardly ever drink and I don't really wear animal prints much, but when/if I do, I enjoy it. My perfect animal print item would be a pair of stiletto pumps or a bag because these would go with so many things and create an accent rather than an "in-to-your-face" statement. I am a bit too shy and yes, conservative for more than that.

Having said that, I love how other people wear animal prints. I adore beautifully put outfits that would include a statement piece and black, caramel or chocolate brown "canvas" created by the rest of the ensemble. This is, I think, is the most important rule: choose a statement and keep the rest of your outfit as simple as possible. Mismatched and mixed prints may look good in fashion magazines, but those have more to do with selling the garments and creating a piece of fashion art that may not work so well in real life.

So.... what do you think of this trend? Love it? Hate it? Can't get enough of it? Do you feel different when you wear animal prints? I would love to hear your opinions on this, my dearest readers.

As always, I hope you will enjoy these style and editorial photos.