Would you be an animal at work?

Even though I’m not loving this heat wave, I’m not yet ready for summer to end. But I can’t keep fall fashion trends off my mind.  And I also can’t ignore all the new fall collections that are flooding stores and magazines.

One big trend that everyone is talking about is animal print. There sure is lots of leopard print out there!
So here is the big question, how much animal print can your office handle?

Let’s start with the skirt:


If you are going to go with a bold print on the bottom then make sure you keep the length super conservative. Notice that the skirt on the left from http://www.asos.com/ has a fairly small subtle print and is knee length. Pairing this with a black top/jacket and black pumps keeps the look professional. Do the same with the skirt on the left and the attention won’t be on your work!  The skirt is too short and the print too bold.

And what about on top? Can you really do a printed jacket?


What concerns me here is fit. The jacket on the left works because it is kept open and is paired with a solid color top and pants. However, on the right the model actually adds visual pounds to her look by wearing a printed jacket (no matter what the trend - if you are top heavy stay away from animal print tops!)

Plus, do you really want your coworkers to start thinking about the jungle while you are discussing the latest earnings reports?

But, if you are still not sure that you can pull off a leopard printed skirt or jacket (and believe me, I don’t blame you) then try incorporating the prints in small amounts through your accessories:

Watch: ASOS; Bag: Kenneth Cole; Scarf: by CCC; Shoes: Casadei
So anyway, keep in mind, while you might work with “animals” it doesn’t mean you should be one!