Embracing Animal Print Fashion After 40
How to Wear Animal Print for Women Over 40
Love it or hate it, animal print is everywhere once again this season. And I have to say that it is my guilty pleasure!
I say guilty, as when I was growing up in the UK we had (and in fact still have decades later!) a series on TV called Coronation Street, set in Manchester and one of the main characters, a lady called Bet Lynch, used to wear head-to toe animal print which was deliciously unsophisticated and in bad taste!
Of course, when the animal print actually came from real animals, it was only worn by the rich and famous, so was considered incredibly sophisticated. Luckily, now, we have very good quality imitations, so everyone can participate, without cruelty.
Timeless Animal Print Looks for Women in Midlife
Stylish Animal Print Outfit Ideas for Women in Midlife
Animal print, especially leopard print, is considered a “neutral” as it goes with almost anything and any other colour. I love it with red – it really seems to make both the print and the plain red “pop”!
Although it can be worn head-to-toe, like Bet, if you aren’t a dramatic style personality, I would recommend just sticking to one item, like a pair of trousers, a shirt, or perhaps a coat or jacket and mixing this with plain colours. Or if you just want to dip a toe into the trend, then a bag or a belt in the print is a good way to start.
Mixing Animal Prints with Other Trends for Women Over 40
Mixing two current trends together, I love the wide leg, animal print jeans, that are in all the shops at the moment. They are a really good look for women our age, especially the high waisted style (make sure the material isn’t too stretchy though as you want your tummy held in by the style, rather than highlighting it) and are very flattering. If you are petite, go for a style that isn’t too wide and the print is smaller, so it doesn’t engulf you.
As I mentioned above, animal print also looks amazing with red, which is another hot trend this autumn and all sorts of different shades – one for everybody – can be found in the shops now.
Choosing the Right Animal Print for Your Body Type Over 40
There are lots and lots of variations of animal print –
Cow, Crocodile, Giraffe, Jaguar, Leopard, Snake, Tiger, to name a few. They also now come in all different colour combinations and print size.
If there is part of your body that you don’t like to draw attention to, then keep the print away from that part, or keep the print very small and subtle. Conversely, to draw attention away from that part, wear it on the other half of your body. For instance, if you don’t like your bust area, wearing animal print trousers or a skirt, will draw attention away from your top half.
Snakeskin can be slimming, as the lines created by the design of the skin will elongate the area they are on, making the eye travel downwards, giving the illusion of length.
A bold giraffe print, because the pattern is bigger, is a harder print to wear and is probably best kept to accessories, or a coat.
How to Transition Animal Prints from Day to Night for Women Over 40
Animal print can look amazing for both day and night wear. An animal print dress can be worn with boots, and a cardigan or jacket for the day-time, and then for the evening maybe add some elegant heels and a wrap for the evening.
Similarly, a skirt or trousers in animal print can be worn with a sweater during the day and then maybe a silky shirt and velvet ballerina shoes for the evening.
An animal print jacket can be slung over a cocktail dress for an edgy evening look.
The little black dress can be jazzed up with an animal print handbag or shoes.
The possibilities are endless!
The Dos and Don’ts of Wearing Animal Print After 40
As you will know, I am not a fan of fashion rules. I think if you are to follow your instincts and dress for the person at your core, following rules is the antipathy of this. However, that said, I would recommend caution with animal print and only wear it from head-to-toe, if you have a very dramatic style personality!
You might like to read Comfy shoes for women over 50
Let me know in the comments what you feel about animal print!
Comments