Some prints come and go, but leopard and stripes always seem to find their way back into my closet. I have loved both for years, and no matter how trends change, I never really get tired of them. Maybe it is because they can be styled so many different ways, or maybe it is because they have just enough attitude to make even the simplest outfit feel a little more interesting.
That is what I love about prints like these. They do not have to belong to one trend, one season or even one type of style. Leopard can feel feminine, grungy, bold or casual depending on how you wear it, while black and ivory stripes can be classic one minute and completely alternative the next.
LEOPARD, FOREVER
Leopard is one of those prints I will always come back to. At this point, I think of it as a neutral. Throw it on with black, a graphic tee or a pair of boots and somehow it just works. You can make it the focus of an outfit or treat it like any other print in your closet.
Mother Tee - Black
Afterglow Leopard Mesh Skirt - Leopard
The Afterglow Leopard Mesh Skirt is a good example of how leopard can feel a little different depending on the fabric. The mesh gives it movement and makes the print feel softer, while a graphic tee and chunky boots keep the whole outfit casual. It is the kind of skirt you can dress up, but I love it just as much when it is styled with pieces you would normally wear every day.
Stay Weird Crop Tee - Black
Wild Sage Leopard Skirt - Olive
Then there is the Wild Sage Leopard Skirt, which takes leopard in a completely different direction. The olive gives the print a moodier feel, and the longer silhouette makes it easy to pair with a simple black tee and boots. As the weather gets cooler, I would add a fitted long sleeve or sweater and keep wearing it. Same print, completely different feeling. That is probably one of the reasons I never get bored with leopard.
AND THEN THERE ARE STRIPES
Black and ivory stripes are another print I keep coming back to. They have always had a place in alternative style, but they are also surprisingly easy to wear. Stripes can be the loudest part of an outfit or simply add a little contrast underneath something else.
The Soft Static Turtleneck is an easy way to bring stripes into an outfit without having to think too much about it. Wear it with black pants or a skirt and let the stripes do the work, or use it as a layer underneath dresses and other pieces already in your closet.
The Offbeat Stripe Overalls take that same black and ivory combination and make it much bolder. The oversized silhouette and wide stripes make them a statement on their own, which means everything else can stay simple. A fitted tee or long sleeve underneath, your favorite boots and you are done.
That is what I like about having different versions of the same print. One day you might want just a little stripe peeking through an outfit, and another day you might want to wear it head to toe.
WEAR THEM LIKE YOU MEAN IT
There are plenty of rules about prints. Do not wear too much. Do not mix them. Keep everything else simple. Make sure the colors match. I have never found those rules particularly interesting.
If you want to wear leopard with an old graphic tee, wear it. If you want your stripes to be the entire outfit, let them. If you want to mix prints, textures or pieces that are not supposed to go together, try it and see how you feel in it. Personal style is supposed to be personal. The pieces you keep reaching for are usually the ones that say something about you, whether they are currently trending or not.
SOME PRINTS JUST STICK AROUND
Trends will keep changing, but I do not think leopard or stripes are going anywhere in my closet. There are too many ways to reinvent them, and somehow they always manage to feel familiar without feeling boring.
Maybe that is what makes a print worth keeping around. You do not need to rediscover it every season or wait for someone to tell you it is back. You just keep finding new ways to make it yours.
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