The History and Love of Leopard Print Rages on.

This blog post featuring: Femme Luxe

I have always been interested in the history of fashion so when Femme Luxe sent me this adorable animal print dress I was once again in love. It inspired me to really take a look at some of our previous fashion icons and the history behind leopard print. First let me tell you about this amazing dress and this online shopping experience. This dress is the Grey Animal Leopard V-Bar Body-con Midi Dress- Levene and it fits as smooth as silk. The fabric is a great quality and the V bar and cami straps help it to stay up and in place. This is the perfect date night dress. I received the items fast, in perfect condition and the prices were amazing.

Leopard print has been viewed in so many ways from classic and vogue to trashy and burlesque. It’s quite the controversial pattern I guess you could say. Leopard prints started out gaining popularity in Hollywood type glamour. In 1925 American actress Marion Nixon walked down Hollywood Blvd in a leopard skin jacket with her pet leopard on a leash. Other actresses including Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor also featured leopard frequently. In 1947 leopard other than fur coats began their popularity when Christian Dior featured dresses. He was inspired by Mitzah Bricard. He stated of the pattern at that time “If you are fair and sweet, don’t wear it”. A leopard is an undomesticated wild animal and at the time it was not considered appropriate attire for a lady in that day. A print that on an animal was made to make them blend in made women stand out . It really was controversial at the time. Other designers began designing shoes, hand bags and other items into the 1950’s. In the 1980s it could often be seen on and off stage as a rock/punk style look. It really never went out of style. Even today it is a classic. Hopefully to leopard print lovers like me, it always will be in style. In the past year ,2018 it has been popping up in all the stores. It gained more popularity than I have seen in my years past but we know that trends come and go, and they come back around again.

Leopard is a print you can wear in every season. We need to think of it as a neutral item. It can be found in little summer dresses and sandals as well as winter coats and boots. This season I’m adding a bit of it all to my collection. Just this year alone I have purchased the following to give you an idea: sandals, a scarf, a long flowing vest, 2 dresses, a tank top, a pair of earrings, a casual top, a belt and a coat. I still plan to add to my collection and I’m on the lookout for a great pair of booties as well as a clutch. These staple items pair well when you want to throw on a trendy accessory.

Below I’m going to list my top tips on how to wear leopard print.

Pick 1 leopard print item for a subtle look. Maybe a dress with a leopard heel.
Pick multiple leopard items for a bolder leopard print look. Go ahead be daring! That is what fashion is all about. If you love it wear it.
Wearing it with all black makes for a great monochromatic look.
Wear it with a pop of red for a fun and trendy look.
Wearing it with pink create a softer romantic style
Combining olive, cream or tan neutrals is a great choice.
If you are not sure start off with 1 or 2 pieces and add from there.
Don’t mix numerous animal prints. Unless of course you want to follow tip two above and then who is stopping you. Certainly not I.

I want to share some of my other favorite wardrobe ideas below. If you love leopard just think of the possibilities we have when we consider snake skin and zebra. Oh I can feel another blog post coming up. Can you?

Here is another look at that fabulous dress from Femme Luxe. Nobody said leopard has to be just brown and black. This version of this dress is black and gray. Be on the lookout for other colors of leopard print. Pink is so fun and believe it or not I saw a beautiful red version on a dress.

IMG_E5539