A Walk on the Wild Side

As much as I am trying to slowly build up my basics collection, colours and patterns are still a very big part of my wardrobe. When it comes to the most popular pattern in my closet, there’s only one style that gives the classic polka dot a run for its money, and that’s animal print.

I feel like I’ve been dipping in and out of this trend for years but now I’m finally properly embracing it. I’ve never had such a variety of animal prints in my wardrobe before, and quite frankly, my bottom shelf is starting to resemble some kind of zoo. But who says that’s a bad thing?

I recently wore some of my favourite print pieces on holiday to Greece and I wanted to share them with you guys in a little lookbook, because outfits as nice as these simply deserve to be shared with others. Consider it a little fashion favour for all my fellow animal print lovers out there.

LOOK ONE

I thought I’d start off this post with a bikini, because despite it being the outfit with the least material, it’s usually the outfit that you spend 90% of the holiday wearing. Gotta get that tan on right? (Or burn in my case).

I came across this bikini in a somewhat frantic last minute online holiday shop (don’t lie we all do it) on boohoo.com. I tend to prefer actually going into the shops to buy stuff, but when it comes to bikinis, I can usually buy them online quite confidently, especially tie-up ones like this because they give some leeway for sizing! Personally, I like to take the less is more approach when it comes to buying bikinis. By less is more, I don’t mean I like to buy the tiniest bikinis possible, rather that I like to opt for the classic, simple styles. I feel like I just don’t suit the fancier styles that are on the market. Because quite frankly, all these straps, holes and cutouts give me weird burn lines and just leave me resembling one of those bits of pork that has been wrapped in string, and who wants to give off roast dinner vibes on the beach?

So I stuck with what I knew and opted for this classic triangle style. But whilst the style is basic, the pattern by no means is.

Despite the distinctly non-orange colour scheme, this actually is a tiger print bikini, but to be honest I’m loving the white and brown combo anyway! I actually saw the matching co-ord to this after I had ordered it worn by Francesca on Love Island, which was a nice little addition to the bikini, and something that could make it more of a ‘beach party’ vibe rather than just something for the beach.

I loved styling the bikini with this sheer blouse that I have had for ages now from Primark! The colours compliment each other so well and I love how it looks when it’s just tied together as a simple beach cover up. I would also wear this look with a pair of shorts to walk around during the daytime!

Overall this bikini is super comfortable and flattering. I love it because even though its animal print, it’s still not too in-your-face and makes for a classy look! I’m not usually thrilled with the quality of Boohoo’s clothes, but this is definitely a 10/10!

Bikini: Boohoo

LOOK TWO

So I sort of just walked past this dress at first when I saw it on the rail, because at the time it felt like all I was buying was animal print and I felt like I should broaden my holiday shop horizons. Inevitably though, I changed my mind within a few minutes and before I knew it I was in the changing rooms trying it on. It was all a blur to be quite honest with you.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this dress because sometimes it’s hard to tell with bodycon styles, but I was so pleased with the way it looked on! The style didn’t look ‘tacky’, which was what I had been slightly worried about at first, and I loved the way it tied up at the neck at the back (perfect for showing off your holiday tan). I like to just tie it in a knot so that the straps fall down my back because I think that looks better than what would probably be an awkwardly large, wonky bow at the back of my neck.

This dress is so comfortable and I the material is really soft on the skin. However it did make me a bit hot in the Greek weather so thats something to bear in mind if you want this as a holiday piece. Otherwise, I was so happy with how it looked and felt!

Zebra print is one of my favourite patterns right now, I feel like it’s such a 90s style, and everyone loves a bit of 90s right? Also, as we know from my recent posts dedicated to monochrome and the LBD, black, white and I are sort of having a moment right now. So this dress slots perfectly into my collection.

I styled it with these gorgeous heeled sandals from Primark, some long diamanté earrings and my hair in a low bun. I think with a neckline like this, its nice to show it off by having your hair neatly tucked away. Overall I think the outfit came together really nicely and looked exactly how I wanted it to! Don’t you just love it when that happens?

Dress: H&M

LOOK THREE

I think I may have left the best until last with this one because to be honest, for me it’s the star of the show. I was obsessed with this dress from the moment I saw it in Topshop and I knew that not only was it perfect for holiday, but for so many other occasions in general.

We all know I’m obsessed with slip dresses, but until now I only owned long ones, and I really wanted to get a shorter style. After seeing this type around the bloggersphere, I was increasingly desperate to get my hands on my own one!

They have a variety of these dresses in Topshop so there is a fair bit of choice colour and pattern wise, but with my obsession with animal print ever growing, it was obvious which one I was going to choose from the second I laid eyes on it…

So my favourite aspects of this gorgeous dress are the cowl neckline and the ruched hem at the side. Cowl necks are just so flattering it’s unreal, I think they are such a classy style for a dress and I love how it looks on this slip!

With the ruched hem, I think it’s such a great addition to the style, because you can tie it as tightly or as loosely as you like, so it gives you a chance to alter the dress yourself to how you like it. I find that this gives the dress a bit more shape, making it more figure hugging, yet it still lays loosely on the body. The style is very delicate and feminine, as slip dresses always are, and I honestly never wanted to take this off when I wore it!

I wasn’t entirely sure what pattern this is actually meant to be? On the website it says zebra so I suppose we will go with that. Anyway, whatever animal it’s meant to be, it sure looks good to me. Plus, the colour is perfect for golden hour photos, which is something we all get a lot of on holiday. Make the most of it whilst you can I say.

Dress: Topshop

And so my mini lookbook has come to an end. As much as I wish I could create a whole gallery containing animal print clothes, even I know that I can’t dedicate my entire wardrobe to one style, so I’ve tried to limit myself to buying my absolute favourite pieces. After all, I only want to share the best items with my lovely followers! If you liked the outfits in this post and you’re thinking about dipping your toe into the animal print trend, then I think it’s definitely worth investing in a few key items for your wardrobe. Go on, why not take a walk on the wild side?

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How do you feel about the animal print trend? Trendy or tacky? Let me know in the comments below!