How to wear animal print maxi dress

Animal print is a severe and very challenging print to wear. It's something that can make you look highly fashionable and stylish if done right but can also make you look disaster with even very tiny mistakes.

Wearing little animal print in your outfit is easier to handle than wearing a huge ensemble such as an animal print maxi dress. But fret not. You don't need to be a celebrity or a model to perfectly pull off a fabulous animal print maxi dress. You just need the perfect techniques.  Take a look at my tips on how to wear animal print maxi dress.

• Choose the right dress

It's important that you pick the right animal print maxi dress for you. You'll have to consider the shade that supplement your skin color, the patterns that would go along your figure, the style and cut of the dress itself and the fitting. You must be comfortable with the cut. By that I meant that you make sure the dress itself is stylish and perfect to flaunt your assets. See how Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen wear animal print.

Hear turner Leopard Halter Evening Gown Sexy Long Maxi Dress

A black and white zebra print is a good alternative if you're intimidated by zebra or leopard print

Halter straps tied on the back of your neck and fitted bodice destruct the eyes off the print

• Choose the right accessory

 It's very essential that you choose the right accessories for your animal print dress. After all, it's with the accessories  that girls easily commit mistakes. The colors must jibe with the print. If you choose to match, make sure the accessories have finer prints.

Animal print comes in different variations. The tiger print, for example, usually comes in bigger patterns with light brown as background shade, the leopard print is much more fierce and darker, the zebra print usually comes in diagonal/stripe patterns of dark brown or black and white, and there are even more creative colored animal prints such as dark pink, purple, etc. The thing is you must know how to play with colors.

 
Jennifer Lopez's animal print cut out maxi dress behind screams fashion with matching accessories

Serena's daring animal print combination

 I wore my animal print maxi dress from Chaps with a pearl wrist watch and a dark Bindi

In case you're unsure, it's better to stick with plain dark brown or black for shoes or bags.

• Choose the perfect length for your personality or for the occasion

If you feel intimidated by the long maxi dress that's an animal print, then go for a mini-maxi dress. Showing off more flesh can tome down the fierceness of the print. Make sure that your footwear gives your dress justice. Pic a shimmering pair of silver or gold strapped shoes 'cause I guarantee, eyes would automatically shift from the dress down there.  

Model Jessica Stam attends the launch of Robeto Cavalli's new collection at H&M held at the H&M on 5th Avenue on November 8, 2007 in New York City.

For a bonus point, tip on exaggerating the print,  see how models wear leopard print.

Style Tips: How to wear animal print

Which fashion statement echoes right on you?

♥ Don’t wear animal print if you don’t wanna look like an old mama desperately seeking a papa.

♥ If you are to make a serious fashion statement, wear animal print. Don’t be afraid. Wear it with confidence. It’s all about attitude anyway.

I would not be surprised if this question divides the house of fashion. Many believe that young women should not consider wearing animal print because they are likely to end up as fashion disasters. The other side of the house, however, claims that no matter what print you’d wear, if you’re not confident and skilled enough, you are certainly going to end up a fashion disaster. It's all a matter of how you carry the print.

Animal print in itself is a fashion statement. However, unless you are making an editorial shoot, certain things should be carefully considered in wearing these prints to avoid hitting the front page of "what were they thinking?". Believe me, it's very easy to make mistakes.

♥Don’t match if it’s large

Matching colors and prints is very common in styling. However, not only does going too matchy projects a trying hard obsolete way of styling, it is as well considered a big NAY when it comes to animal prints. Choose only one large part of your outfit as wild. For instance, if your top is a leopard/tiger/zebra print, let the tights/skirt/pants be non-animal. If it's your dress that has the print, then let your shoes be plain black. A touch of the same print on your footwear would only work as long as the black or white? is dominant.

Christian Dior Cruise Сollection 2010

♥Tone it down

If your outfit is too wild, tone it down a bit. If you wear an animal print mini dress, you can tone it down by wearing a single-colored-cardigan over the dress which color blends well with your wild print. If you wear a leopard print tights, for example, you can tone it down by wearing a knee length boots with color that blends but suppresses the strongest shade of your animal print. You can decide too for the color of your boots by taking a non-dominant shade from your other accesories. Take a look at Whitney Port’s outfit. If she just toned it down with this Willow casual leather knee boots, she could have saved her fashionista image and avoided some OMG writers from asking, "Is it just us or is it these skinny leopard-print pants?"

Another way of toning down a large wild is by carrying/wearing accessories that steals attention such as fur purse or fancy scarf. But then, their color should always be complementary.

♥ Go matchy if it's accessory

If you feel the urge to go matchy, you can do so on your accessories provided that they don’t clash. For example, if you wear leopard printed boots, you can take a tiny purse in leopard print. If your tiger bag is with considerable size, you can take a pair of tiger print stilettos. But hopefully, your long scarf is no longer a leopard/tiger and your head gear does not scream jungle. The key here is getting minimal.

Christian Dior Cruise Сollection 2010

♥ Stay single

I don't mean that you girls should stop searching for the man of your life [yes, he is being searched for not unless you already found him] and just stay single. What I do mean is that you would never go wrong if you take only a single item of animal print, either for your top, bag, shoes or scarf, while the rest of your outfit is entirely a shade of black or white. I'm not certain though, if this would also work if everything in your outfit is brown - if that won't make you look like a walking dead trunk? Do advise me.

♥ Try D&G style

If you want to be effectively daring, you can try Dolce and Gabbana style. A fitting sleeveless with low cleavage top paired with black and white polka dots, tucked in with black booties is a fabulous look to steal. A pair of fitting long sleeves top and below the knee pencil cut is otherwise an alternative.

Notice that the top and skirt are matched [bottom photo] but the prints are of big patterns with light brown as the main shade. Complete the look with a pair of plain black stilettos.

What are your style secrets when it comes to animal print, girls? Should a young woman not wear animal prints?

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