Spot on, baby : why the leopard print will always make you look stylish.

Ramps for the past couple of years have been overflowing with animal prints. The trend is here to stay. But honestly, animal prints really can’t be classified as a trend, like some clever designer (I don’t know who, but it’s a cool quote anyway so I’m going to use it) said "animal prints and textures have been around since man (and women too) started wearing animal skins.. or as I like to say... when people started to get dressed".

What does that mean? Well, it means, my dear, that it’s a look you can invest in and sport over the coming years (with minor adjustments) without ever looking “So last season...”.
Of all the animal prints, I personally feel the leopard print is the most stylish, versatile and ever lasting.

Luckily, most of the designers also seem to think so, and leopard prints were by far the most evident animal prints on the shows with various experimental colors, print sizes and fabrics being used.
The other good thing with the new avatar of leopard prints is-you don’t necessarily have to go for the “safari” look, because the designers have managed to create an awesome range of feminine dresses, tights, jackets and what not, allowing you to create many looks with a few key pieces.

Of course, if you want to appear totally “with it” by going for something more off beat, you shall have to work a lot harder ; start by digging deeper amongst the next season’s shows and identify what looks unusual but also looks like it might become a highly coveted print. Then, try and balance that, with what might work for your body type and personality … finally, there comes the challenge of finding a well-made fashion item (garment or accessory) with that particular print, which also fits inside your budget.

If you succeed, you can rejoice- but only for a brief while, because you will be lucky if you get to wear it a couple of times, before everybody has either seen you in it or is wearing it themselves. At that point you must be willing to throw it at the back of your closet, hoping the trend comes back soon.

Also, let me warn you, few people can carry off the more “trendy” animal prints like giraffe, tiger and zebra (especially not in clothes) without looking like a glitzy bar lounge sofa.

So, all things considered, it seems far smarter to stick to small or medium sized leopard print- maybe you could try floaty fabrics or new colors for a change.This will allow you to go for better quality items, that you can use for a few years, if not forever.

I’m not going to carry on about the do’s and don’ts of wearing this look, the links at the bottom will tell you everything you need to know.

http://blog.mtvasia.com/2009/10/26/trend-talk-animal-print/

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1109953/winter_2009_trends_in_fashion_leopard.html

http://www.teenvogue.com/style/trend/trendspotting/2009/11/animal-print#slide=1

http://astrology.yahoo.com/channel/beauty/10-ways-to-get-the-animal-print-trend-very-very-wrong-490708/#photoViewer=1