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Into the Wild! 5 Chic Ways to Pull Off Head-to-Toe Animal Print

Posted by Samantha Sung DE Admin on

Photographed by Arthur Elgort, Vogue, April 1992

This season, you can forget everything you’ve been told about investing in a simple set of wardrobe basics, because animal print has been dubbed “the new neutral.” Khaki trench coats and little black dresses are being tossed aside for leopard spots, zebra stripes, and snakeskin, which have flooded our Instagram feeds, shopping sites, and quotidian street corners. But why the sudden interest in all things animal?

For decades, the furry leopard print coat has been considered the epitome of chic, from the swing-cut style Jackie Kennedy made waves with in 1962 to the many versions Kate Moss has been photographed in over the years. Certainly not restricted to furry outerwear, though, Azzedine Alaïa built his entire Fall 1991 collection around cheetah knitwear, and Shania Twain made music video history when she dressed in head-to-toe leopard for her 1997 hit “That Don’t Impress Me Much.” Somehow, animal spots pair well with almost everything, adding instant excitement to a look. Vogue Market Editor Alexandra Gurvitch explains that she uses jungle prints “to liven up my otherwise all black uniform.”

For Fall 2018, designers offered fresh takes on a variety of animal-inspired styles. Tom Ford paired colorful cheetah halter dresses with matching tights and embellished his leopard suits with sequins. Dolce & Gabbana experimented with everything from zebra to tiger, while newcomer Miaou introduced sportier options in cheetah and snake. With so many options to choose from, why limit yourself to just one? Here, five different ways to wear head-to-toe animal print this season, as tested by this Vogue writer.

Samantha Sung coat, Vivetta dress, Brixton beret, Dolce & Gabbana purse, J.Crew umbrella

Samantha Sung coat, Vivetta dress, Brixton beret, Dolce & Gabbana purse, J.Crew umbrella

Photo: Christina M. Garcia

For my first look, I wanted to re-create Arthur Elgort’s photo of Claudia Schiffer from a 1992 issue of Vogue, so I went all out with the leopard. After all, isn’t brown leopard what everyone thinks of when animal print is mentioned? Luckily, J.Crew had the perfect umbrella, and I managed to find the only animal print beret online by the brand Brixton. Samantha Sung offers a super-chic nylon leopard trenchcoat, and to top it all off, I added a Dolce & Gabbana box purse. This look received some interesting reactions by passersby and friends. “You look like my grandmother,” someone commented. I would 100 percent wear it again, though.

Samantha Sung Parisienne coat, $895, samanthasung.com; Brixton Audrey wool beret, $30, urbanoutfitters.com; Vivetta puff-sleeve shirtdress, $268, farfetch.com; Anna F. leopard-print pumps, $230, farfetch.com; Dolce & Gabbana small Sicily bag, $1,295, dolcegabbana.com; J.Crew pocket umbrella, $27, jcrew.com

Photo: (Clockwise from top left) Courtesy of jcrew.com; Courtesy of urbanoutfitters.com; Courtesy of samanthasung.com; Courtesy of dolcegabanna.com; Courtesy of farfetch.com; Courtesy of farfetch.com
Rixo London dress, Gianvito Rossi shoes

Rixo London dress, Gianvito Rossi shoes

Photo: Christina M. Garcia

One of my go-to brands for animal print is Rixo London, so it was tough deciding on just one item to wear from them. I eventually settled on an emerald green tiger-printed evening dress from its upcoming fall collection. Coincidentally, it contrasted well with my red hair. Since the dress was so colorful and voluminous, I kept accessories to a bare minimum, opting for simple Dalmatian-spot mules by Gianvito Rossi. “Straight out of Dynasty,” Gurvitch said, referencing the TV show’s maximalist 1980s fashion.

Ganni Bijou leopard-print cotton-poplin wrap dress, $315, net-a-porter.com; Manolo Blahnik BB Dalmatian-print pony-hair pointy pumps, $895, manoloblahnik.com; Rixo London Alexa neckscarf, $86, rixo.co.uk; Mystique animal-print pony-hair clutch bag, $146, selfridges.com

Photo: (Clockwise from top left) Courtesy of net-a-porter.com; Courtesy of rixo.co.uk; Courtesy of selfridges.com; Courtesy of manoloblahnik.com
Roberto Cavalli jacket, Topshop shirt, Rag & Bone jeans, Manolo Blahnik mules

Roberto Cavalli jacket, Topshop shirt, Rag & Bone jeans, Manolo Blahnik mules

Photo: Christina M. Garcia

This was my casual look (casual for me, at least). Often overlooked, zebra is a great alternative to leopard and cheetah prints and is perfect for those who prefer to dress in subtle shades of black and white. Topshop always has a great selection of zebra separates, which I layered under a neutral-toned zebra jacket from Roberto Cavalli’s Spring 2018 collection. To dress things up a little, I added a Manolo Blahnik zebra-printed kitten-heel mule.

Topshop zebra-print pajama shirt, $65, topshop.com; Roberto Cavalli haircalf biker jacket, $6,834, harrods.com; Rag & Bone ankle straight jeans, $265, rag-bone.com; Jeffrey Campbell Romance-F mules, $140, jeffreycampbellshoes.com; Amélie Pichard flat bag zebra, $404, ameliepichard.com

Photo: (Clockwise from top left) Courtesy of topshop.com; Courtesy of harrods.com; Courtesy of ameliepichard.com; Courtesy of rag-bone.com; Courtesy of jefferycampbellshoes.com
De La Vali dress, Aquazzura sandals, Crap Eyewear sunglasses

De La Vali dress, Aquazzura sandals, Crap Eyewear sunglasses

Photo: Christina M. Garcia

When I came across this leopard dress on Farfetch by the Ibiza-based brand De La Vali, I knew I needed it in my life. Maybe it was the mandarin collar or the fact that it fit like a glove, but it was love at first sight. I decided to put a late-’90s spin on the overall look with platform sandals by Aquazzura and leopard framed sunglasses from Crap Eyewear. (I will not regret joining in on the small sunglasses trend.) And come fall, this dress could just as easily be worn with black tights and boots.

De La Vali silk leopard-print Suki dress, $261, farfetch.com; Aquazzura Baba platform sandals, $850, nordstrom.com; Crap Eyewear the Ultra Jungle sunglasses, $79, crapeyewear.com; Clare V. foldover clutch, $275, clarev.com

Photo: (Clockwise from top left) Courtesy of farfetch.com; Courtesy of crapeyewear.com; Courtesy of clarev.com; Courtesy of nordstrom.com
Red Valentino coat, Wolford tights, Carel shoes, L. Erickson headband

Red Valentino coat, Wolford tights, Carel shoes, L. Erickson headband

Photo: Christina M. Garcia

I would describe my everyday style as “mod.” A statement A-line coat, a fun pair of tights, and a block heel pump is my unofficial uniform. If I could dress in head-to-toe Courrèges every day I would. So this tiger-printed frock by Red Valentino and matching Wolford tights fit the bill perfectly. To keep this look somewhat toned down, I paired it with simple black patent Mary Janes from Carel.

Red Valentino animal-print jacquard midi coat, $1,250, modaoperandi.com; Wolford Tiger Pop tights, $18, collantspaschers.com; L. Erickson USA bit headband, $54, franceluxe.com; Carel Babies Kina shoes, $325, carel.fr; SecondVerseVintage 1990s velvet tiger-stripe bag, $24, etsy.com

Photo: (Clockwise from top left) Courtesy of modaoperandi.com; Courtesy of franceluxe.com; Courtesy of etsy.com; Courtesy of collantspaschers.com; Courtesy of carel.fr
Source: https://www.vogue.com/article/how-to-wear-animal-print-leopard-zebra-stripes