Animal Print Accents – How much is too Much?

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Since I was little, I have always been obsessed with fashion trends. Maybe it was because as a young girl and then a teenager, I looked up to my two older sisters who always seemed at the forefront of new trends and styles.

A little while ago, I went to visit one of my sisters who lives in Montreal (I would call Montreal the fashion capital of Canada…it’s no London or NYC but it’s all us Canucks have, ok?). One of my favourite things to do with my sisters is to go through our newly purchased items so I can either, a) copy them and buy the exact same thing (we do live in different cities so that’s allowed) or b) steal the item when the other isn’t looking…. (I mean borrow the item after I ask politely).

My sister opens the door and I’m shocked to see she has taken on the  animal print trend to a whole new level. Not only is she wearing a pair of Stuart Weitzman animal print boots, she’s also wearing her J-Brand animal print skinny jeans and an animal print top (don’t know the designer). Seriously? 3 pieces of animal print clothing all in one outfit (and I didn’t even mention her tortoise shell Michael Kors watch)? After my shock subsides I venture upstairs to go through her new purchases and almost fall down the stairs as I see she has about 5 more pairs of animal print jeans, another pair of boots and some leopard print high heels.

Are we taking animal print too far????

I know the trend comes and goes and currently it’s here to stay (judging from the runways in Paris and London…) but really? I don’t think many of us (including my sister) can pull off the Steven Tyler.

How to Wear Animal Print

When thinking about clothing – these are the looks that I think many of us can pull off quite comfortably, using animal print as the perfect accent to our outfit. Remember, unless you’re walking the runway or you are Rhianna – you probably cannot pull off the head-to-toe animal print (and even if you are Rhianna, you probably shouldn’t do it). Think of animal print as a a sexy, glamourous or sophisticated accent (depending on your style) and limit yourself to a maximum of two pieces at a time (and one of them should be jewellery or a watch).

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But What About Nails?

Animal print nail art can be GORGEOUS, but like the episode with my sister – animal print nail art can be taken too far as well. Here are some looks that I’ve put together that I think work well and can be worn with almost anything adding the perfect accent to your NON animal print outfit 🙂

Leopard Ombre print with a bow accent

These black on black nails are so easy to achieve (look for a tutorial soon). I used a basic black polish with a matte top coat and then applied the animal print with the same black polish, with a toothpick. Easy peasy.

Black on Black Leopard Print

I was so surprised when I tried Sally Hansen nail strips (I thought they were gimmicky and would be impossible to apply and certainly not look great if I got as far as getting them on) I couldn’t be more wrong.  These Sally Hansen nail strips are to die for, for all nail polish scardicats or those nail art addicts who are just too tired to paint (i.e. me tonight). These were so easy to apply, I can’t speak highly enough of these must have strips.

Sally Hanen Salon Effects Strips

Have fun with animal print. Wear it to your heart’s content – but do so in a calculated way that accentuates you in the best way possible!