A little bit of leopard

Now then, I know that leopard print never really went away and, overall, it’s pretty timeless, but last year it fell slightly down the pecking order. I don’t recall wearing much of it in 2023, but I am all over it this season. I mainly blame Instagram for feeding me loads of photos of cool girls wearing it. But you don’t have to be a twenty-something fashionista to get your leopard print on, and forget the Bet Lynch / Kenny Everett-as-Rod-Stewart connotations too as it’s not about being ‘sexy’ or ‘brazen’. In fact, the way we wear leopard print these days is much more casual. It’s not short skirts and stilettos, it’s more loose fits and comfy trainers.

You don’t have to go the whole hog either: you can just sprinkle a bit around using your accessories (we love a good accessory, as we established last week). I know leopard can be thought of as a neutral, but I like to wear it in a way where the print speaks for itself, so I don’t tend to mix it with other prints. But of course, as ever, you should wear what you like. Here are some easy leopard print outfit ideas for you…

LEOPARD JEANS / TROUSERS

These Damson Madder cargo jeans are definitely the item that has been stalking me all over the internet for weeks. Months, even. I resisted for quite some time as I wondered if, at 51, I can really wear what all the teenagers are into. I had a quiet word with myself and then said, ‘Fuck it, why shouldn’t I try them?’ Annoyingly, by the time I got to that conclusion they had sold out but, undeterred, I stalked Vinted and managed to grab a pair (there are a few on there, and if you can wait, they’re on pre-order at Damson Madder now too). Turns out I love them. Go up a size for the loose cargo fit. I think I’ll get a lot of wear out of them this spring and summer.

LEOPARD BAG

If you don’t feel like sheathing yourself in this print but you quite fancy the little lift it can give you, then a leopard-print bag could be the perfect accessory for you. At this point, I am not going to apologise for the overabundance of Ganni in this post. They went a bit off-the-boil last year, but they have always done leopard print very well. In fact, I’d say it’s their best calling card. Kudos to you (me) if you never got rid of your dresses from circa 2018. I had a feeling they would have another moment. Shout out to these M&S ballet flats, by the way. I bought them the other week and I can confirm they are very comfortable and look way more expensive than they are. I recommend.

LEOPARD TOP

Leopard print goes exceptionally well with jeans. I say that about most things, to be honest, BUT the blue of the denim and the pattern of the leopard is a winning combo. Works for a casual night out where you want to be comfortable but you also want to feel like you’ve made a bit of an effort.

LEOPARD SHOES

Here’s another way to ‘dip your toe’ into this trend. I feel like I made that joke last week too. Must expand my repertoire, or else I’m going to end up like those old comedians who only have four jokes that they repeat, endlessly. He’s not a comedian, but I used to work with Nile Rodgers (him from Chic), and he had some fantastic anecdotes about all kinds of famous people, and the first time you heard them you were so impressed and awestruck, but by the sixth time they had lost their shine somewhat and I would rather have heard about what he had for dinner or how often he does the big shop.

LEOPARD DRESS

I really do think there should be space in everyone’s wardrobe for a leopard-print dress. I had a BIG clear out of dresses fairly recently but the leopard stayed as, unlike many florals etc, they still have a place in my heart and I know I will wear them again. I have a red leopard Ganni wrap dress that I bought maybe seven years ago and it’s been to three weddings, many parties and a few big nights out and I just know it will see many more.

LEOPARD SKIRT

If the leopard trousers are a bit ‘everyone’s wearing them’ for you, how about a midi skirt? This time, try wearing with flats instead of white trainers to bring it a bit more up to date. I need to mention these Ganni dupes from Temu. They are VERY similar (basically identical to the naked eye) to the originals, but cost less than £30. For that price, I cannot guarantee the quality or the ethics at all, but if you love the style and you just want to try them out then I can’t argue with that. My sons are forever ordering stuff from Temu, and I feel like I’m on the edge of trying it for myself as I fancy a red pair of these shoes. I have the originals and I’m still trying to break them in. The comfort factor is very low, which is disappointing for a rather expensive pair of shoes.

I hope everyone has a very happy Easter. We are going to LA on Thursday, a rather last minute (some may say, rash) decision when I realised the Virgin Airmiles I’ve been collecting for years run out very soon. If you have any top tips or restaurant recommendations, do let me know x

K x

WearsMyMoney

I spent it all on clothes by the looks of things...