Leopard Print Lookbook – AW16 Trends Ep 1

I was always Scary Spice whenever we dressed up as the Spice Girls. Although I always touted myself a more of a Posh or Baby (but alas all brunettes know you can never be Baby unless you’re blonde) I just happened to have a large amount of iconic animal print perennially hanging in my wardrobe. So as you might guess, Scary Spice is back out in full force this season in the wake of the leopard print trend.

Unlike most trends that’ll have a few seasons in the limelight then sink back into sartorial obscurity for around 10 years (*cough* boho trend, peasant skirts, Sienna Miller circa 2006 anyone? *cough*) leopard print crawls its way back into favour every couple of years. So here’s the secret to nailing it: buy a few key pieces with timeless appeal, and you can keep pulling them back out season on season.

This accompanying YouTube video is the first in a little mini-series I’ll be doing every single week discussing and styling up AW16 trends in a lookbook (make sure you’re subscribed to my channel and tuned in every Sunday evening to catch it!) So here’s a little breakdown of my choices:

Now this is my second feature of a leopard print coat on Fashion Slave, so it’s safe to say I’m a little bit hooked on them. But to prove the timeless appeal of these coats, this particular one is from Topshop around 6 years old and still looks as fresh as ever. Luckily, this Mango version is the closest iteration I’ve found today, whilst Topshop’s latest version is also quite close.

True, this can venture into stripper territory when performed wrong – especially with over the knee boots like I styled it! But, it’s all about silhouette. Choose a universally flattering A-line shape and you avoid that tacky skintight effect.

The key is once again in the silhouette and shade. Choose looser, free-flowing silhouettes like this Topshop style for a more elegant approach.

A far more subtle approach, this is a dotty dashed leopard-effect top from Topshop (I swear I’m not being sponsored by them they are just nailing this whole leopard print thing right now!) Denim skirts look ultra-classic.

Photography and Videography by Rebecca Spencer