Tips & Trends: Leopard Print Bags

Diane Von Furstenberg | Dolce & Gabbana | Roberto Cavalli | Thalé Blanc

So leopard print bags are probably one of my favourite things at the moment, aside from anything pastel or floral printed. Above are some high end bags I've seen a lot of bloggers and celebs wearing. To be honest though, for how much they set you back financially, I'm not overly impressed. So, I've included some leopard prints bags at much cheaper prices below that I think are way nicer than any designer bags going around right now, plus they won't break the bank. 

As the monochrome trend is bigger than ever at the moment, leopard print bags are a great way to add some subtle colour and print into predominantly black outfits. It will give it the pop of colour it needs, but could also be worn with other colours too such as white, cream, brown and even brighter colours like orange too. 

Forever New | River Island | Foxlane Collective | Bowie

Style inspiration: Check out how these bloggers wear their leopard print bags.

Little Striped Dress

Bec & Bridge dress | Siren heels | Forever New clutch (similar here) | Samantha Wills bracelet | Forever New earrings

Move over little black dress, the little striped dress has taken over. One can never own too many stripes and I'm discovering this more and more as my stripe collection expands. Until recently, it only included tees but this cute skater style dress was definitely a much needed addition. Stripes are massive this season and they're a great way to rock the monochrome trend. The best thing about a striped dress is its versatility and the fact that it can be worn day or night. I've worn this dress so many times since I bought it and it's safe to say this is one of my favourite purchases. 

Moral of the story:  1. You can't go wrong with stripes. 
                                 2. Buy a little striped dress and wear it to your heart's content.  

Get my look:

Asos dresses

Oldies But Goodies

 Paint It Red cropped tee (old) | Three of Something skirt (old) | Jessica Buurman sandals | Forever New crossbody bag (old) | Jolie & Deen necklace | Etsy and Jolie & Deen bracelets | Dogeared rings

Today's look is composed of mostly old clothing from either last season or many seasons ago. The main idea here is that even though we're driven by magazines, social media and online shopping sites to continue to purchase new items all the time, there's nothing wrong with old stuff too. 

These are a few of my favourite 'oldies but goodies' and items that I will continue to love for a very long time. I particularly love this ikat printed skirt from Three of Something. Although ikat isn't overly big at the moment, printed skirts will never go out of fashion and hey, this is a (pretty awesome) printed skirt. 

The crux of what I'm saying here is to feel confident and comfortable with yourself and let what you wear be a reflection of that. Don't let people tell you how to dress or the sort of person you should be. Wear whatever you want and be whoever you want to be. Old clothes can be just as amazing as new clothes!

Printed

Forever New dress (similar here and here) | Giuseppe Zanotti heels (similar here) | Forever New bag | Coach bangle | Dogeared rings

As you've seen, most of my looks tend to be either casual or dressed up. I don't work (as I'm a full time athlete and study part time), so I don't own many clothes that could be considered 'work attire'. But if I did, this is probably along the lines of how I'd dress. Forever New have some great dresses at the moment in prints similar to this one that are perfect if you're trying to steer away from black in your work wardrobe. They're relaxed and colourful, yet still professional for the workplace. Just be sure to wear simple accessories so you don't overdo it! 

Dresses like this are also perfect for daytime occasions that require getting more dressed up than usual. I wore this to a baptism and also to an event where I was a guest speaker. You can't really go wrong with a nice printed dress. While black is great and works for most of us, there is nothing wrong with injecting a bit of colour every now and then to keep things bright and interesting.

Get my look:

Forever New printed dresses

Tips & Trends: Leopard Print Slip-Ons

The leopard print slip-on is possibly one of the biggest AW14 trends going around at the moment. Bloggers and celebrities have been seen ditching their heels in favour of these decidedly more comfortable and practical flats. Leopard print slip-ons make a great addition to a casual/relaxed outfit. They're busy and fun and you can walk in them for days!

So are they a worthwhile wardrobe acquisition? Absolutely! As this trend has snowballed its way across the globe, there's no shortage of them across the country and online of course. It took me less than five minutes to compile a group of my top picks, so the availability of this trend makes it one of the easiest to invest in, not to mention the extensive price range, which means they're also affordable. Yay!

At the moment the 'slide' is probably the most popular type of slip-on. It looks like a pair of loafer style Vans without the laces. Gradually more prints are coming out in this style, such as checkered and zebra prints, while black is also in at the moment too. Leopard print would probably be the easiest print to find though if you don't want to spend too much money because there are so many more options. Check out my pick of the top four 'slides'. 

                                                  Senso                                                                                                    Tony Bianco

                                         Windsor Smith                                                                                             Sam Edelman

But who could forget about trusty espadrilles? They've been around for a few seasons now, but it just goes to show that 'espis' are practically a wardrobe staple. While the 'slide' is all the rage at the moment, a leopard print espadrille will most likely be easier to find and there will probably be many more options at cheaper prices too. I love espadrilles and prefer this style to the 'slide', which I find a little too masculine. Nevertheless, many a fashionista has managed to not only pull off the 'slide' but rock it quite well actually. So no disrespect, however, I will have to take sides here. Anyway, here are some great espadrilles.  

                                     Jeffrey Campbell                                                                                              Steve Madden

                                       Elyse Walker                                                                                                    Steven Lanii

So how does one wear the leopard print slip-on? Take a look at some of my favourite bloggers showcasing their style in these versatile shoes. 

Song Of Style | Tuula | Damsel In Dior | Style Scrapbook      

Cheeky Crochet

Toby Heart Ginger crochet shorts | All About Eve crop tee | Jean-Michel Cazabat wedges | 10 Bells bag | Etsy and Tiffany bracelets

I am beyond glad that the weather is still warm and sunny at the moment. It means summer hasn't quite ended, so neither has my affinity for denim shorts. This cute little pair take denim cutoffs to a whole new level though. The crochet poses a perfect contrast to the distressed detailing, making these shorts effortlessly easy to style. Pair them with a floral printed top like me, a shirt or blouse to create a feminine look, or opt for a tee or tank if you're style is more relaxed. 

Cropped tops aren't for everybody, so here are some other tops I'd pair with these gorgeous bottoms. 

1. River Island

2. Cooper St

3. MUUI

4. Ezra

5. Ezra Basics

6. Atmos&Here