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Thursday 19 October 2017

How To Overegg Your Leoprint


Is it possible to overegg your leoprint?
Well, I believe it is and I believe I may just have done it.


You see, sometimes I can become a tad obsessive.  With clothing and most probably with pretty much everything else.  Except ironing :-).




I bought my leopard print scarf last autumn here.


 It soon became my go-to-scarf.


Being innovative (read: too lazy to use two words when one will do), I quickly called it my leoprint.  I wore it.  And I wore it.  It did get a summer break when it became just too hot to wear it (though I did use it as a beach sarong on more than one occasion - that doesn't count, eh?).  But it was back in service again some weeks ago.  It's quickly become a 3-and-a-bit season item in my wardrobe.


Whenever I wear something black, grey or beige, I grab my leoprint.
So that's pretty much every day then as those colours are my only core wardrobe shades.


But I do have another scarf in those same hues in my suitcase, so as I felt I was becoming a tad formulaic in my dress, I switched.  I asked The Photographer With Fashion Views which he thought was best.  I do this sometimes to allow him to feel engaged with the process, to let him believe that he is more than a clicking finger in this "model"/photographer relationship. He chose the Tie Rack silk square.  I agreed with him.  That does sometimes happen.  Not a lot, but sometimes.

And it suddenly dawned on me that I may just have been overegging my leoprint,  as magically my ancient silk square looked somehow fresh.  New.   Perhaps overegged starts to feel simply tired and stale over time.
And that, folks, is how you overegg your leoprint. 
Wear it solidly for 3+ seasons.   Wear it with everything.    Including a swimsuit!



So I really have been trying to burst out of my leoprint cocoon this autumn, before my obsession takes hold again for the another 3+ seasons.  Here I dipped my toe in the water with a blue/grey print scarf from the National Trust shop.


It felt a bit cold turkey.  But I lasted another day without my leoprint.
I'm going to tackle it one day at a time.


When I look back on posts from the last 12 months, I do wince a little when I see how quickly my leoprint took hold of me.  I became obsessive, but I think it's because it fits with so many of my neutrals.  Indeed, I have read many fashionistas say that animal print is a neutral, and I guess it is, as provided the print colours are vaguely in the colour range of what I'm wearing, it works for me.  And for others, just about any colourway goes with animal print.

So although I have perhaps overegged my outfits with my Zara leoprint scarf since the very day I bought it, well hey ho, I'm just being fashionista.


For the record, this is what absolute cold-turkey-padded-cell looks like in Pout World.
Gosh, I felt so naked on this day!





And just to prove that I don't spend all day at home obsessing about scarves, look, I did get down to the beach!


This was not a good visibility day but on the horizon in the middle of the picture you can just make out some headland, that being Eastbourne and the very tip being Beachy Head.  I show you this as the lovely Canadian blogger Susan of High Heels in the Wilderness recently visited Eastbourne.  It rained.  And it was damp and dreary.  So the day after I saw her IG post I took these shots because I wanted to show her that it doesn't always rain in Eastbourne.


So this one's for you, Sue!  Hugs, x.
(Hey, who put that leoprint around my neck?!!)



Now, dear readers, it's your turn.  Please tell me that you too have become obsessive about an item of clothing too.  Something that maybe sneaks into so many outfits, perhaps on most days and over several seasons?  Something you start to feel just plain naked without? 
Please don't leave me feeling like it's only me who wore a grey turtle neck jumper solidly every weekend for three whole seasons when she was 14!  And now, repeatedly wearing a leoprint scarf for 3+ seasons at the age of, err, oops, selective memory loss again!


A la perchoine.

26 comments:

  1. Hi Pout,

    I applaud your "YOU-niform" wearing of the leoprint!! (Stolen from great blogger Brigitte Raes.) You make that scarf sing and it does the same for whatever you choose to wear with it! It is iconic for you the same way Anna Wintour has her iconic pieces, among others. I am just not a leopard or really any animal print gal myself...just a plain jane. Definitely never wear snake prints either as I am EXTREMELY phobic about all of that ilk...live, plastic, on the television, in a magazine(never trusted National Geographic!!) You keep right on wearing that leoprint so that I don't feel pressured to be "on trend"-you can do it for the both of us:) Loved loved loved the beach pictures, thanks for sharing those!

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    1. Hi Jules, yes, leoprint has become my Me-niform. Thanks for saying such nice things, I'm so proud to have found my iconic piece! I too have an aversion to snakes, worms, anything of that ilk, but I can disassociate myself when it comes to snakeprint and can admire the beauty without a panic hot sweat. Vi ses igen snart, knus, x.

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  2. Jules,
    I have the same reptile phobia. I know it's ridiculous, but there you are. Cannot wear it.
    Janie

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    1. Hi A, oh, it's not ridiculous at all but as I said to Jules above, somehow I can see the print as unconnected to the reptile!
      Hugs, x.

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  3. I love my leoprint scarf and probably overegged it too but what the heck. It complements most things I wear too and I love a bit of animal!

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    1. You're so right Pieta, what the heck. eh?!! I'm sure you look great in all your animal prints.
      Hugs, x.

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  4. When I first bought my "leoprint" clutch bag, I thought "I'll never use it." But I use it all the time - and just bought a bigger version for winter. It's amazing how versatile leopard and cheetah print is. It looks great with all your outfits Mary!

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    1. Get where you're coming from and I'm loving your leopard print usage in bags and lovely shoes too. About 20 years ago I bought a cheetah print shirt from Wallis, then baulked when I thought it very Bet and wimped out, but when I actually started wearing it, I was hooked!
      Hugs, x.

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  5. Ha. Thanks Mary. Love the photo...leopard print and all. And I liked Eastbourne very much. I thought it was charming. The pier and the vistas along the sea front. Even with the rain. But then I love a moody sky with white caps on the water and an empty beach. Makes me feel all Bronte-ish.

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    1. Hi Sue, love your Bronte spin on our bad weather! We had some rough seas on Saturday courtesy of Storm Brian and I took a few pics of breaking waves yesterday which I will dedicate to you!
      Hugs, x.

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  6. I'm also not crazy for animal prints and I definitely vote for the Tie Rack silk square. Not just because I think it looks a classic piece but because the shape of its drape is lower and flatter on your chest. I think it is more in proportion to your body than the leoprint.

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    1. Oh Anne, I so appreciate your input. I do love the silk square (the colours, the print, the drape); it's no surprise that I bought its sister too and both have featured big time in my wardrobe over the past 20 years. Hugs, x.

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  7. I think we all become a bit obsessed by some items in our wardrobes. I have three jackets I wear constantly because they seem to go with so much of my my clothing; they're comfortable and I love them.

    All are charity shop buys; one from a 1.00 rail in Wellingborough - it's a cream colour waterfall jacket with yellow and mustard florals on it; the second is a Country Casuals mustard flecked jacket with a velvet trim and finally an M&S off white oddly shaped jacket. They seem to be my go to jackets to judge by the amount of times I've worn them!

    xx

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    1. Vronni, just from your description I can see those as classy jackets which would fit into a girl's wardrobe so beautifully. I wish I could be brave enough to analyse what I wear repeatedly, keep that and gift the rest. But then again, I like to shop my back-issue wardrobe an awful lot too :-).
      Hugs, x.

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  8. Overegging the leoprint, eh? Nah, I don't think so. Seriously you ARE a fashionista and leoprint IS a neutral. And it looks fab. So there.
    You are the recipient of the best wife award though. It's so sweet of you to engage The Photographer in the creative process. He obviously has some styling skills because he chose wisely. So impressive!
    I don't think I've ever overegged. Although the challenge I'm in right now feels like that. I'm getting tired of the same tops and I have a feeling they'll be in the thrift shop pile by Nov. 1!
    We could always change the name of your blog to "Lady Leoprint" and if your Photographer starts styling you we'll call it "Lady Leoprint and her Lord" - now that is catchy and could definitely work. Heck you could take that show on the road sister!
    I hope you have a marvelous weekend, I've had a rough day and need to return to my wine. I would like to go just one week without being yelled at by a parent at school. Just one week, is that too much to ask Lady Leoprint?
    xo,
    Kellyann

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    1. You're lifting my spirits again, Mrs R! Thank yuu for your sweet words. TP has style sense as he's a pretty snappy dresser for an old geezer (not my words. but those of someone close to us!). TP loved your "lord" bit!!!
      Your challenge shouldn't overegg your chosen pieces - 5 pieces worn separately on 5 days (as you've quickly ditched the weekends) makes just 4 wears per piece ... or have I not got the maths right? I think I could handle that for November.
      I hope you have a week surrounded with parents who've been sprinkled with Mrs R Love Dust!
      Hugs, Lady L, x.

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  9. I would say my black moto or biker Which is why I'm making an effort with other jackets recently. Still these overeggjngs are investment pieces that were clearly good value for money.

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    1. Hi Anna, now that's a good take on it - the overegged pieces are the ones that are giving us CPW value for money. Thanks for that.
      Yes, I've noticed you've been seeing other jackets, but didn't your biker/moto creep back in yesterday?
      Hugs, x.

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  10. Yes, even though I have hundreds of bags I tend to grab the same ones over and over again because they are the ones that ALWAYS go perfectly with what I am wearing. LOVE your leoprint!

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    1. Guess you're right with bags, Amy, the ones that get the wear are the versatile styles/colours/sizes that go with so much and become go-to bags without us even thinking about choice. I'm like that with my grey cross-body currently.
      Hugs, x.

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  11. Well it's just so hard not to wear something you love on repeat. A leopard scarf would definitely fall into that category sweet friend. You are so funny referring to the photographer as a clicking finger. I love it. Nice of you to give him some input. I ask my hubs his opinion too. Usually he's right...lol. The new scarf is gorgeous too. such pretty colors. Way to accessorize pretty lady! XOXO

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    1. Thank you so much, Lisa, you are kindness itself! TP doesn't get it ALWAYS right, IMHO, but most of the time, probably.
      I never thought I would be hooked on leoprint quite so much, but you seem an understanding lady who's perhaps been there herself!
      Here's wishing you a fab weekend, hugs, x.

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  12. I am a fan of wearing a leopard scarf over and again, as it is also my favorite print of scarf. love it with the neutrals and the blue scarf you posted looks great as well. I enjoyed the pictures of the beach as well. Leopard is just so darn versatile!
    thanks for linking!
    jess xx
    www.elegantlydressedandstylish.com

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    1. Hi Jessica, looks like it's you and me both who are feeling the love for the leoprint! Glad you liked the beach shots. Wishing you a chilled Sunday and a pleasant week, hugs, x.

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  13. Over-egging can otherwise be known as having a signature piece though which surely sounds better Mary? I tend not to tune into scarves when I look at an outfit as I see all the other pieces as more important. What I'm trying to say, is that no, I've not noticed the over-egging at all!
    My recent trip to London saw me wearing the same little black jacket most of the time - the capsule wardrobe was a challenge too far for me!
    Have a great week.
    Anna x

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    1. Oh I like the idea of having a signature piece, Anna, a nice positive take on it so thanks making my day! Thimnking back on old photos, I've had a thing about scarves since my late teens.
      I loved all your London pics, escapades and outfits. Your jacket was perfect glam casual so I can understand why you put it to good use. Your capsule looked spot on from the photos so I think you rose triumphantly to the challenge!
      Enjoy your week on your lovely island, hugs, x

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