Alison Catchpole
- May 26, 2015

INVEST IN A LEOPARD COAT

Invest in a Leopard Coat. Really.

The point is, it’s less Bet Lynch than Bet You Could Go Anywhere In That. Animal print is a total classic on the catwalk and, more importantly, off it.

One of my great fashion heroines, Charlotte Dellal, certainly makes a go of her animal print theme.

Bruce the porcelain leopard, initially sourced from within her own family, now provides the inspiration for all her stores. Many Bruces have been spawned and many are fronting her gorgeous boutiques – for instance a “Bruceling” stands guard at the Harvey Nichols Charlotte Olympia concession area.

A “Bruceling” on guard at Charlotte Olympia Harvey Nichols

Quite aside from the decor opportunities, animal print is now a recognised neutral within the fashion palette. Like black, navy or red, it’s considered a go-to for brightening up a monochrome outfit or adding a spicy tone to something understated.

But it’s the leopard coat which really gives the most. A recent article in Red Magazine analysed A-lister Reese Witherspoon’s top wardrobe tips and buying a leopard coat made it high onto the list.

I can only agree. As a great fan of the coat, I own rather more than my bijoux London apartment was designed for but my oldest and most faithful of coats. My vintage leopard swing coat somehow made it out of the sixties and into a retro shop for me to swan (leopard?) around Oxford on my bicycle as an undergraduate. It is still warm, still swings and I pull it out of the cupboard on those rare but important days when I really don’t want life to be quite so Max Mara.