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How to rock leopard print

Everyone who knows me knows that I have a fetish for wild animals. Wild animal prints, to be precise, with a preference for leopards. And hooray, this season it can again be found in many leading collections (Dolce&Gabbana have been fans for years, of course). Afraid of the Nel Veerman effect, I find mugs, duvet covers, or iPhone cases with wild animal prints on the edge.

The line between very fashionable and quite wrong is razor-thin. If you keep these rules in mind, your wraaah leopard look will be just fine.

* Always limit yourself to one item in your look with a leopard print. Even if you love matching shoes & bags, don’t do it. Actually, a matching shoe and bag is not such a good idea anyway, but more on that later. Something with a leopard print is often a real eye-catcher, and it’s not the intention for those eyes to dart all over the place. In this case, Less is more.

* The safest and most classic way to combine leopard is with black, brown, or white. But for a more creative touch, combining with brighter and bolder colors like peacock blue, bright red, or aubergine is a more fashionable recommendation. The combination with jeans is now considered a classic.

* Gold-colored jewelry fits perfectly, but here too: don’t overdo it, try to find a good balance, it can quickly become too much. Turquoise jewelry is a good bohemian chic alternative.

* Assume that you will enjoy your leopard item for several seasons, so invest in good quality. Moreover, the print is seasonless and is therefore perfect for wearing all year round.

* Going for sexy? Then combine leopard with lace or leather. Look for inspiring examples from style icon Carine Roitfeld, who always knows how to wear leopard sexy but never vulgar.

* Be careful with a too-deep neckline. The fabric already has enough sex appeal on its own.