“Oh how we love that crazy combination of classic, hot, and neutral in a wild sort of way”, so says fashion expert Sharon Haver of Focus on Style.  From designer fashion for women to fast cars for men, nothing connects us to our wild side better than the sights and sounds of exotic animals.  Names like Mustang and Jaguar appeal to men’s desire to be untamed, independent, powerful and aggressive.  Women choose visual displays of fur, leather, and bold animal patterns to show that they are a force to be reckoned with.  After all, everyone knows that the lioness is really the most feared beast in the jungle.

Fur clothing, adornment of animal hides, as well as jewelry and accessories made of animal feathers, teeth, and claws have always been symbols of wealth, power, and prestige.  This year animal prints symbolize a keen sense of style and fashion savvy.  Customers are flocking, or stampeding, their way to retail establishments that provide great selections of handbags, boots, clothing, accessories, and jewelry that feature animal prints and patterns.  Tiger stripes, giraffe spots, and even cow prints are popular now.  For a more edgy look many women are choosing snake and other reptile skin patterns to draw attention to their wild nature.  Leopard print and zebra stripes are the current kings of the fashion jungle.  The natural tone of leopard is easy to accessorize, yet the bold contrast of zebra is hard to overlook.

Movie stars and celebrities are choosing bold animal prints to make sure they are recognized.  Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, and Lady Gaga have all been seen wearing animal print fashion and accessories.  Fashion experts say, “The woman who wears animal is considered to be happy in her own skin because to wear animal print you have to own it.”  Historically and fashionably, the woman who wears animal is looked upon as sexy, confident, and powerful.  Wearing these bold patterns requires a certain attitude.  However, when it comes to animal fashion, less is often more.  All experts agree to keep it simple.  Don’t mix your animals because some don’t play well together.  The rich, cool, classy look quickly becomes the poor, tired, trashy look when you mix a leopard scarf with zebra pants and highlight it with cow skin boots.  Often, only a slight hint of an exotic creature transforms a conservative look into something that turns heads.  This is why the popularity of animal print jewelry and accessories has skyrocketed.  The affordable price points of animal print fashion jewelry allow even the most economically modest consumer to look like a million bucks.

To avoid being thrown into a cage by the fashion police, here are some fashion tips for looking wild.

ó     Keep it simple.  You want only specific patterns or themes to be recognized.  You don’t want to look camouflaged.

ó     Smaller prints are typically viewed as classy and chic.  They are also more easily worn by most women.

ó     Very bold patterns with strong contrast like cow and zebra require careful consideration.  They can make short women look shorter and large women look larger.  However, if done in blue or yellow hues they become softer and more feminine.

ó     Try to limit yourself to only two appearances of the same print.  Perhaps only matching shoes to belts or scarves to other accessories, such as gloves.

ó     Be careful of bold circle spots that may draw unwanted attention to certain body parts.

ó     The natural, earthy tones of leopard are popular year round and are easy to accessorize.

ó     If you want the animal print to be the main focus of the outfit, then make everything else about the outfit simple.

Remember it’s a jungle out there!  Retailers are always faced with the challenge of knowing what to stock for their customers.  Understanding fashion trends helps retailers focus on what their customers want and expect.  All too often retailers only buy what they like, thus ending up with retail museums.  Sometimes it’s hard to remember that you are only a good merchandiser if someone else likes what you bought and are trying to sell.  At least for now, it’s hard to go wrong with animal prints, especially with fall just around the corner.