Go Bold With Animal Prints in Work Outfits
One doesn’t typically associate animal prints with the office dress code, but that’s doesn’t mean we can’t go wild and bold by adding an animal print to our everyday office look. Whether you’re a leopard print girl or more of a snakeskin lady, animal prints can be integrated into your work wardrobe if done well. Plus, they are so versatile, and the trend is such a perennial classic that animal prints are essentially almost considered a neutral print—one that still can be a bit bold. Despite that, it can also quickly move from classy and elegant to too much for a work setting. Figuring out how to style such a trendy yet edgy print professionally can sometimes feel overwhelming. With these easy tips, you’ll be able to style your animal prints into your work outfits so that you look chic, classy, and professional.
Accessories
Accessories are one of the tamest ways to work some bold animal prints into your work outfits. Especially if you work in a more formal or corporate setting, you probably won’t be able to wear a leopard print pencil skirt to the office. However, that shouldn’t keep you from letting your wild side show a little at the workplace. Our favorite animal print accessory is the fashion scarf. We love a silk or chiffon stylish scarf with a bold animal print that you can incorporate easily into your work look. Wear around your neck, wrapped around your wrist, or simply tied to your bag as your perfect lowkey wild statement at the workplace.
Bags
Bags are another great way to bring some animal print into the workplace. Especially if you love snakeskin, snakeskin purses, laptop bags, and shoulder bags make great pops of wild for your professional attire. Similar to a fashion scarf, if you have a more professional or formal dress code that doesn’t leave much room for rocking your snakeskin boots, then bringing a snakeskin bag or purse is a great way to integrate animal prints into your work look without going over the top.
Pair With Classics
The surest way to wear animal prints to work is to wear them with classic pieces. When it comes to the corporate world, deciding what fashion statements and trends are appropriate and a tad too much can be a fine line. But since we’re treating animal prints as a bold neutral, we think it can be done. A good rule of thumb is to tone down the boldness of animal prints with subdued classics. Classic pieces such as black blazers, black dress pants, and white button-up blouses do wonders to neutralize the stand-out effect of animal prints. For example, wearing a leopard print blouse tucked into a pair of high-waisted black slacks and under a black blazer is a great way to rock animal prints in your work outfit without losing out on the professional appeal.
Focus on Silhouette
Silhouette is key when it comes to wearing animal prints to work. When dressing for the workplace, steer clear of low-cut tops, plunging necklines, backless pieces, and skin-tight or shapely pieces. Instead, save these cute pieces for a night out with the girls or on a date with your significant other. For the office, look instead for animal print pieces that are flowy, structured, or have classic cuts. Think wrap dresses, midi skirts, blouses, cami tops, and wide-legged pants. You want to show off your figure while still being a bit reserved. Opt for a classic work silhouette that tends to be more structured, spacious, and modest.
Choose a Quieter Print
There’s a whole lot of animal print out there, and not all prints are created equal. Some animal prints are loud, and others are more delicate or chic. For the office, you, of course, want to err on the chicer side and avoid prints that are too boisterous or loud. Skip animal prints that feel slightly aggressive, such as very bright colors or mixed animal prints. For example, neon snakeskin is probably not the best choice to add to your work look. Opt for prints that are more subtle, subdued, and neutral. Avoid bright reds, hot pinks, and neon greens and instead look for creams, grays, black, beige, and browns when selecting animal prints that are okay to wear to work. Zebra print is another great, more neutral print to wear to the office because of the black-on-white look.
Things to Avoid
We’ve already covered some things to avoid, but just to recap: Avoid wearing animal prints that are too snug fitting and instead opt for looser and more relaxed fits. Try not to wear too much animal print. Use it as the statement or accent piece of your work outfit instead of going overboard. It’s also best to avoid wearing animal prints with anything else that competes with it. Meaning, avoid clashing and stick instead to pairing animal prints with classic pieces and neutrals like black skorts and black blazers. Also, avoid bright prints and colors that are just a bit too loud for the workplace.
Since animal print is here to stay, it makes sense that we find stylish and appropriate ways to integrate it into our work outfits. Stick to these tips, and you’ll be able to get away with wearing your favorite wild-inspired pieces to the office.