The ultimate guide to leopard print

On a recent shopping trip with a client, she asked me how much leopard print was too much? My immediate response was that one or two pieces in an outfit strikes a good balance. Three elements of leopard could potentially start straying into British soap opera pub landlady territory - Bet Lynch, Kat Slater, Liz McDonald or Pat Butcher. It’s these cultural references that can tend to put us off leopard print - incredible and dramatic characters but not necessarily style icons (although arguably, Bet & Pat have probably had an influence on my style)!

Fun fact: Did you know that all of Liz McDonald’s outfits are bought from markets in Manchester? Because that’s where Liz would go to buy her clothes - total genius!

My other personal cultural reference is Kenny Everett impersonating Rod Stewart. This is the reason I would never contemplate leopard print trousers, but if you are unaware of this reference because of your age, location or perhaps your Mum & Dad didn’t let you watch it - then please go ahead with leopard trousers and never look this up on Google!

There are SO many options for leopard print out there and - honestly - it will never go out of fashion. I think we had a bit of an overload of leopard in 2018, so 2019 eased off a bit, but it’s back again this year. It is a classic print that you’ll reach for time and again in your wardrobe for years. I personally know a 97 year old who is my actual life and style icon - she regularly wears a leopard faux fur coat and looks amazing.

Whether you are 97 or a little bit younger, there are a few things to consider when choosing a leopard print.

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1. Colour
   Yes, leopard is a neutral (see the fabulous style book by Erica Davies that you can find here on Amazon), but leopard can be a warm neutral (this is the classic leopard print), a cool neutral (grey or cool brown tones) or even a coloured neutral.
   
   So make sure it works with the neutrals that suit you and the colours that are in your wardrobe. And make sure that the overall value (light or dark) and contrast levels work for you too, as different leopard prints will be higher or lower contrasts levels.
   
   If you’d like to know more about what colours and values suit you, check out my Colour Consultation package, available online or in person.
   

2. Pattern styles
   This is usually more of a personal preference, but is the leopard print stylised or more like the natural leopard print you’d find on an actual leopard? There is a leopard print that will work for you whether you’re a leopard newbie or love a bolder leopard print! You may prefer a more stylised version of the print which may be more like a cheetah print, if you prefer something more subtle!
   

3. Scale
   Is your leopard print large or small scale and how does that scale suit your personal scale. Is the pattern sparse - widely spread out? Or dense - closely packed together? The chances are that your personality will play a large part in this decision, but your physicality does too.

So how much leopard print is too much leopard print?

In all honesty, this is completely up to your style personality. I truly don’t believe that it’s down to age, but of course nobody wants to enter into the dreaded ‘mutton dressed as lamb’ territory (is that worse than frumpy)? So here are my personal rules, which of course, I may decide to break!

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• You are completely and utterly safe with one piece of leopard print - whether it’s a tiny detail, an accessory, a maxi dress or faux fur coat. There are so many different types of leopard prints available, you just need to ensure that the leopard you choose doesn’t overpower you (visually and in terms of your style personality).

• Two pieces of leopard can work too - I would potentially separate the two pieces of leopard with something plain or coloured. So leopard shoes would look great with a leopard top or scarf, but perhaps less so with a leopard skirt or trousers. A leopard dress and coat might also be overpowering, but if you’re a highly dramatic style personality, you won’t be listening to me anyway!

• Print mixing different scales - if you can find two different prints that are the same tones but in different scales, then that would be a great print “clashing” look.

• Three pieces of leopard is, I would say, for the bold! I’m not saying it doesn’t work, but I think you need to be a bit of a pro to pull it off successfully.

• Leopard and black lace (not the 80s pop duo) - this is a tip that I picked up from Trinny a while ago and I think it makes a lot of sense. Black or red lace can be ageing and heads into more Liz McDonald territory.

If you’d like to know more about which prints and colours will suit you and learn more about your Style Personality, take a look at my Style & Colour Consultation - online or in-person.