I've Got Jungle Fever

You're right. My husband isn't black. I'm talking about a different kind of Jungle Fever... one of the animal print variety.

Roar. Meow. Growl. Hiss. Whinny (I figure Zebras must make the same sound as horses, no?)

That's right, we're talking about harnessing some wild beasts of Africa and wearing their flying colors on our bodies. That being said, please know that I would never wear actual fur! I'm referring to good ol' animal printed fabric.

Its not just for strippers anymore. Or southern white trash. We can, and should, all give it a try.

There is just something so fashion forward about a hint of leopard print pointy toe shoe peeping out beneath wide leg black pants. Its mysterious. Its interesting. Its, "wow I thought that woman was boring in that plain black suit, but now that I see her leopard print shoe, I think there might be more to her than meets the eye..."

Who doesn't want to exude a little mystery - a little sex appeal? Well, for my money, animal print accomplishes this like no other color/fabric/print. Yeah, there's a bit of whore in it. True, there's a bit of trash in it. But that's what makes it so alluring. It gives the apparent "good girl" that added dimension... an added possibility... People will wonder what you really do on your weekends, and what you're really up to at 3am... even if the truth is that you've really go to bed at 10pm every night. No one has to know the truth.

So, throw on some leopard, some cheetah, some zebra, and try on the person of someone with a little edge, enigma, and, dare I say, sluttiness?

Ah... just a few of my favorite animal print accessories. If you're scared to go with a full on leopard print article of clothing, consider an accent piece. A Cheetah print shoe really pops when paired with a simple black dress or pants.


First of all, my apologies for my photography - it was unusually bad when I took these photos the other day. I hope you get the gist of the photos!

Here Stella models a look that I put together with JPS in mind. Do you think that animal print is too much for a professional office? Think again, my friend. I've paired this leopard print camisole (The Limited) with a black pencil skirt (Loft), a black cardigan (Marshalls) and a skinny black belt (Ellen Tracy) A little bit of animal peeking out of a demure cardigan says, "I'm super professional, but I also like to get drunk and dance on bars on the weekends." At least that what Stella thinks. Sheeee crazy.



Stella wants you to know that animal prints don't have to necessarily imitate the colors found in nature. Here's a great casual look. She wears a pink animal print cotton blouse (Loft) and my favorite jeans (Banana Republic)



Animal print for evening? Well, I think they were made for each other. After all, aren't leopards and other big cats nocturnal? I feel like they are. Anyhow, here we have Stella all dressed up and ready to roar in a black silk top (Loft) and a mixed media animal print skirt that I bought at Kohl's, literally, about 8 years ago. I'm pretty sure its Nine & Co. I think I wore it to Christine's wedding, actually.

Still not sold on animal prints?? Why not pick up a cute pair of underwear in a cheetah print? VS has a ton of cute styles in cotton. Look at this little whore Stella modeling a pair below.

This cardigan, from Wheels and Doll Baby, is HOT. I'd wear it to work with a black pencil skirt and spikey heels; I'd wear it at night with dark dark skinny jeans and strappy high heeled sandals. If it wasn't $190, I'd own it right now.

Now here's a sweater, from Loft, that I actually do own. LOVE this zebra print cardigan. I usually wear it with a brown tank and dark jeans. Its laid back jungle.

A cute cheetah blouse, from Loft, would be lovely under a brightly colored cardigan.

This shell, from Banana Republic, is so special from the back. I imagine you wearing this under a suit during the day, and then taking off the suit jacket for happy hour and revealing this stunning rear view.

Zebra pencil skirt, from White House Black market. To town down the wildness factor, pair it with a black turtle neck and knee high boots in the winter.

An airy zebra print skirt, from Anthropologie, is a cute summer time piece when paired with a black tank and flip flops.

Have a summer wedding to go to? Wear this dress, from Ann Taylor (not Loft!) All eyes will be on you, but in a good way. Meee-ow.

Who knew Zebra's loved to swim? Tankini, Ralph Lauren.

If you're still scared of letting out your inner panther, consider some of the accessories below.

Leopard print heel, Charles David.

How sexy are these shoes for a summer night out? Franco Sarto.

A very low key alternative, from Steve Madden.

Hey, snakes are animals too! And this bag from Coach makes me want to wear them on my arm.

This clutch, from Steve Madden, will wake up your same old little black dress.

Got the fever but scared to show it? Try out a cute pair of earrings, here from Betsy Johnson.

I imagine myself wearing these glasses, from Kate Spade, while driving a convertible, with a white scarf holding back my hair. Modern Jackie O.

I know there's a little bit of jungle bitch in all of you... don't be afraid to fly your cheetah flag, you little whore.