What to Wear with Leopard Print Flats

Back at Alt Summit in June, my friends Jeran, Sarah, and Haeley encouraged me to add more fashion posts to my editorial calendar — and helped me practice mugging for the camera. “But I’m not a fashion blogger!” I argued. “Plus, I can’t afford to hire a photographer to shoot my outfits, and I feel silly posing for my husband.”

So many excuses.

No, I’m not the most adventurous dresser, but I do appreciate fashion. Moreover, I’ve recently become fixed on the idea of defining my own personal style. What do I wear that makes me feel the most like me? What colors, patterns, and fit give me the most confidence?

One pattern I’ve been trying to incorporate in small doses into my wardrobe is leopard print. According to Jenna Lyons, J.Crew’s creative director, leopard is a neutral, so I’ve been challenging myself to mix the animal print into my outfits in unexpected ways. Specifically, mixing it with patterns I wouldn’t normally think to wear together.

For this fall look, I challenged myself to quickly throw together an outfit including my new leopard print flats without overthinking whether all the prints are a perfect match. If leopard is a neutral, it should complement almost everything, right?

The resulting outfit is preppy yet slightly quirky, thanks to the pattern mixing. At the last minute, I added dangling beaded earrings because I worried I looked too masculine, but I’m not sure they totally work. Perhaps simple hoops would’ve been a better choice.

Do you own any leopard print clothing or accessories? How do you incorporate them into your outfits? Do you stick to solids or try to pair them with other patterns?

Outfit details: Sweater, J.Crew Factory // Patterned shirt, J.Crew (similar, here) // Jeans, J.Crew Factory (similar, here) // Leopard print flats, J.Crew Factory // Honeycomb earrings, c/o Amelia Rose

PS – You can find more leopard print inspiration on my Pinterest Style board.