For the love of Animal Prints

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I am ALL about a Leopard/Cheetah/Jaguar Print.  So when I saw the Amaranta from Shoedazzle, I was all about it! Some people see an animal print and think that you are limited to that print as far as what to wear with the shoe. (Sooooo not the case over here!) Animal prints can be one of the most versatile prints you can work with.

Take The Amaranta for instance:

 It is faux-suede ankle bootie in Black (the most neutral shoe color of life…wait for it) the 1.5 inch front platform and the 5 inch heel are covered in a faux-suede leopard-print. The fact that the shoe is mostly black makes this one an easy pick, but here is a past #shoewithaview that has an allover leopard print as well. 

-------->Back to the lecture at hand…..The Amaranta can be worn several different ways. You don’t have to limit yourself to just basic black or red when wearing animal print. Yellows and Oranges are great summer colors that bring out the Yellows and browns that the print has to offer. Rich colors like Indigo and Green really make the print stand out and showcase the pattern. For instance…..Try a Yellow summer dress and pair it with your fave animal print flats or sandals. A bold Blue or Jewel tone Green skinny jeans really make the print POP!   Mix up Patterns and textures too! One of my favorite pairings with a leopard/Cheetah/Jaguar print is black and white.   An Indigo Skirt pencil with a black and white striped top (tuck that shirt in!!!) and Pair them with an ankle bootie like the Amaranta, or for a more unified look, an all-over printed ankle bootie.  (Don’t be scurred).

**DISCLAIMER** for the love of God, please don’t (or at least I don’t recommend) trying to match your animal print shoes with your animal print tops/bottoms and wearing them, at the same damn time (2 Chaiiiiiins). Just because you have a cute cheetah print shoe you want to wear, doesn’t mean you can/should want to wear it with that cute cardigan you saw at H&M. True Story:  I was waiting for a table for happy hour with Nina G. (what up Boo!) and the hostess complimented my on my cheetah print sweater, and wanted to know where I got it from. I told her I purchased the sweater last fall at H&M. The hostess was disappointed because we were in Jacksonville, FL and they do not have an H&M (yet, coming soon!). She then continued ranting about online shopping (yawn) and said she asked because she was looking for a something to wear with her Cheetah print shoes, and my sweater was the same print, and they would a great match. ::Nina and I exchange blank stares:: The blank stares were exchanged for 2 reasons…..

1. You are doing the most wearing all that animal print at once (chances are, unless you made the sweater and laid that same fabric on the shoes, the prints aren’t going to match boo

2. Her cheetah print shoes had ruffles on them……Which brings me to the end of this Disclaimer: When choosing a cheetah print shoe, opt for no frills (if you can help yourself). You will get more wear out of that pair of shoes.  Shoes with a pattern such as an animal print , can already be a challenge to wear, but when you add some bling or ruffles or jewels to the shoe, it limits how and what you can wear with that shoe. 

Today, I wore My Amanranta ankle booties with a Black Pencil skirt that I purchased from New York and Company, a white Tee from Old Navy, a grey blazer from H&M, and various accessories (Gold Michael Kors watch, gold and yellow bangles from Aldo, and Cheetah print, diamond studded earrings from a flea market in the Tampa Bay area (very subtle print and its far enough away from my feet that it’s not overkill), and the belt was a goodwill find. ***pictures Below***

These ankle boots are going to be a great shoe to Transition into the Fall (and Winter here in Florida) with. I can wear them with skirts and shorts during the summer, and then add some opaque tights (black or bold mustard yellow….) in the fall/winter and you have a shoe that can last you 3 seasons! This boot will also be worn to show my team spirit ( GO JAGUARS……Super Bowl 2013 Champions…..you saw it here first), so a lot of Teal and Black and Gold will be worn in various combinations!




Quick Shoe review:
Shoe: Amaranta
Purchased from: Shoedazzle.com
Price: 39.99 ( price includes shipping both ways, no taxes)
Inside the package: A Drawer-Style box, and a shoe duster
------>use this link and check it out http://shoedazzle.com/invite/wx3xf8f0x
The Amaranta is a shoe boot, or ankle bootie. Its is faux-suede and 5 inches in height. The platform in the front makes it feel like a 4 inch heel. It fits True to size (6.5 for me) and was a confortable shoe. It is a well-constructed shoe for the price. I would reccomend anyone to try out a pair of the shoes. If you dont like it, you can send it back, no additional fees involved. I will definately make another purchase from shoedazzle.