joining the animal kingdom

its an age-old trend but faux fur and animal print are the kings of the runway this season. from my safaris round the stores I have realised a prevalence of our furry friends. you don't need to indulge in a £70 fur coat either - although my closet is getting jealous of olivia palermo - topshop and h&m have plenty of market options as well standard winter coats with fur collars for the mouse amongst the men. one way to incorporate the trend without going park lane is a stole, don't jump to the stereotype - warm, glamorous, cosy; what more could a girl want and your visa doesn't need to stress out as both h&m and zara do versions for around £15. infact tout le corps can join in the fun as hunter's leopard print welly warmers are set to sell out for a second winter in a row: get in there soon before christmas as even santa will run out quick; thats if mrs claus hasnt stolen them all first. but do watch what you wear them with as they could appear tacky when paired with cheap or patterned items: lets say be they are for a discernible dresser.
if you dont have the balls to jump on that band wagon, you can still welcome our feline friends into your closet. both river island and topshop have subtle sets of animal print leggings for around £20. Although this seems expensive for a pair of leggings, they are the statement part of your ensemble and can be paired with so many different tops. Just don't repeat the original sin and wear a short t-shirt with them: as beautiful as your derriere is, the whole world doesn't want to see it. on my travels i spotted a cheeky pair of snakeskin print shorts - £25 - but a more edgy and easy way to incorporate print. If that isn't timid enough for you and you want to go for the super subtle look then accessories is the way forward. a leopard print headband, scarf or belt is a regular feature in my outfits and prevents pat-butcherdom. another en plus is that it can make the most minamilitic outfits more interesting which is perfect for those low-maintenance days: crisp white t-shirt, denim ankle-grazers, leopard print scarf and barbour jacker and you are pret-a-partir.
however the best piece of advice i can give is to be tactful with your satorial paintbrush. just because it is an emerging trend does not mean that it will neccesarily suit your look.
but do give it a shot and come join me here in the animal kingdom. it will certainly earn you some fashion (and animal) stripes.until next time....

stay jagger

Links
http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatalogNavigationSearchResultCmd?langId=-1&storeId=12556&catalogId=33057&beginIndex=1&viewAllFlag=false&pageSize=20&searchTermScope=3&searchTermOperator=LIKE&searchType=ALL&sort_field=Relevance&searchTerm=fur&x=0&y=0
http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatalogNavigationSearchResultCmd?langId=-1&storeId=12556&catalogId=33057&beginIndex=1&viewAllFlag=false&pageSize=20&searchTermScope=3&searchTermOperator=LIKE&searchType=ALL&sort_field=Relevance&searchTerm=animal&x=0&y=0
http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatalogNavigationSearchResultCmd?langId=-1&storeId=12556&catalogId=33057&beginIndex=1&viewAllFlag=false&pageSize=20&searchTermScope=3&searchTermOperator=LIKE&searchType=ALL&sort_field=Relevance&searchTerm=print&x=0&y=0