Call of the Wild

Animal print is one of those trends that has been on-trend for so long it feels like a staple. We have been putting animal print flats, pumps, boots in clients’ closets for the last decade. Although animal print is a versatile and neutral pattern, it can feel brassy when it’s done in a full dress, jacket or pants. As you can imagine, it’s a lot of a look.The last couple of seasons, though, our team -- along with the rest of the world -- has found a sweet spot for this print in one particular garment: the midi skirt. Something about that sexy cheetah in a modest knee or mid-calf satin or silk skirt feels so fresh and new. And, like the animal print shoe, it is fast becoming one of our client staples for work and weekend all year round. We are adding this beloved piece to our clients’ closets and our own! Here are some tips on finding the perfect animal print skirt for you:

1. Look for a medium scale print. Not all animal print is created equal. Too large of a print doesn’t feel as sophisticated and can also draw too much attention below the waist. Any bold, large-scale print will draw attention and add volume to whatever part of the body you put it on. This Veronica Beard Vanity Leopard Slit Skirt at The Hive is the perfect scale with the spots clustered together closely and each about an inch in width.
2. Select a silhouette that drapes instead of hugs. This modern animal print skirt is less va-va-voom bombshell and more cool-girl effortless. Look for a midi skirt that isn’t a pencil skirt, but cut on the bias or fluidly drapes down like this Nanushka skirt at TSALT.
3. Tailor the midi length so that it is midi for your height. Anyone can wear a midi. It just has to be a midi for you. A skirt that is midi on someone 5’7' is not midi for someone who is 5’2”. Make sure the midi is about 2-3 inches below your knee. If it is too long, take it up to that spot!
4. Make sure the waist is high up on your natural waist before your tailor the length. Most women make the “saggy skirt” mistake where the waist sits too low and too close to the hips. You want to pull that skirt up to right below our rib cage, tailor it to that spot (bring in waist) and then decide if you need the length fixed.

Now you are ready to style that skirt a million different ways! On the weekend, wear it out to brunch with white sneakers, a tee and a denim jacket. Dress up for the office with a silky sleeveless blouse, black blazer, and black pumps. Dress down for errands with metallic birkenstocks and a graphic tee knotted at waist. Dress up again for date night with heeled sandals and black silk cami. Once it cools down, wear with tall black boots and a boxy, chunky black sweater.