Red and Leopard – how to love it

So I have recently boarded a new express train to Time-Wasting-Ville, and that train’s name is Pinterest. For the uninitiated, Pinterest is an online pinboard where you can tag or ‘pin’ various things you love from around the web . If you can find it on the internet, you can pin it to Pinterest. It’s a super-handy place to keep inspirations you find for everything from clothing to recipes to home decor and more.

And to me, one of the neatest things about Pinterest is you can follow the pins of your friends, too. So I know exactly what recipe my friend Holly might be making for dinner this week or what cabinets my friend Emily might like to have in her dream kitchen someday. It’s so cool.

It’s also a great place to find style inspiration. And frustration, too. For example, this outfit has been making the rounds on Pinterest boards o’plenty the past few weeks:

In theory, I really like the idea of this outfit. In reality, however, it is Way. Too. Much. There’s matching and then there’s Matching with a capital M. And this is the latter. Like the gurus say, ‘It doesn’t have to match. It just has to go.’

But I think there are some good things to work with here. Leopard is this year’s new neutral and red is always a classic. So how would I work red and leopard together? Like so:

So much better, right?

Here you still get the pop of color and pattern in a much more versatile package. This outfit would work for just about any size, shape or age. And you can totally swap out the skinny jeans and knee-high boots for a pair of black trousers and pumps for an instantly work-appropriate look.

The lesson here: Keep an eye open for inspiration everywhere – including Pinterest. But don’t be afraid to tweak to fit your own fashion needs. And if you’re not sure how – just ask. I live for this stuff. 🙂