I am aware that animal print is not for everyone, people seem to either love it or hate it, like Marmite, but I have always thought that no wardrobe was complete without at least one faux skin or animal print statement piece.

During my high-school and early college years, leopard motives were quickly associated with a particular urban tribe that seemed to favour neon colours and all-over-the-body piercings together with this popular animal print. I would still sport my pointed leopard flats back then, but one had to be cautious not to overstep the line that separated classy from flashy (unless that was what you were going for #notjudging) 😉

These days we see how most designers keep on incorporating animal-skin patterns to their creations and fashionistas rock these pieces whether in the form of bags, shoes or coats: snakeskin, leopard, crocodile, ostrich… to name but a few, and always faux, please!

This timeless trend was never really gone and every few seasons makes a comeback, so whether you are on board with it or not, we won’t deny that animal printed pieces are an eye-catcher and can instantly elevate an outfit if done right.

However, as we saw with the double denim trend, animal print can be daunting as it is bound to attract a certain level of attention that not everyone is comfortable with 😉

So if you are captivated by nature’s beauty and are considering joining the wild side but are not too sure of how to go about it, here’s the big secret to get started, glamista: KEEP IT MINIMAL!

As with many other overpowering fashion elements, you can go completely overboard and throw in a whole safari if you want, but for a chic & edgy vibe, I would advise a small dose of animal print over a minimal look: a pair of leopard stilettos with skinny blue jeans, a zebra scarf over a black leather jacket, a snakeskin structured bag over tight black jeans and a white T-shirt.

And as you should know by now, the key to any statement look is to wear it boldly!

Chic with an edgy twist is precisely what I was going for on this night date with my lovely friend Mar, whom I had to treat to cocktails as a payback for the photo session 😛

While I was getting ready, I rescued my leopard sandals from Next from two years ago which are an absolute favourite of mine, then started to work the outfit up: these thrifted mom jeans (also seen here & here) are a bit loose on the waist area, so I grabbed a faux snakeskin belt with a shiny golden buckle to tighten them up and make the bottom part more figure-flattering. Perhaps I shouldn’t mix two different prints on the same look? Said a little voice in my head. However another voice coming out of the mirror said: you rock, girl!

So I decided to listen to that second voice and off I went, animal safari on & untamed lioness hair, ready to kill the night! What do you guys think of the result?

Shoutout to my mum for stocking me up with the cutest handmade crochet bags this summer!

Are you a fan of animal print, glamistas, or do you stay away from it? How would you style it?

Don’t be shy, I would love to read your thoughts in the comments down below, one of my favourite parts about the blog! ♥

Happy Sunday!

Peace&Love

Saida

Mar Brito

{Primark Halter top & Snakeskin Belt} {Vintage Mom Jeans} {Next Leopard Sandals}

{Crochet Bag – Handmade by my awesome mama} {H&M Round Necklace} {ASOS Sunglasses}