Animal print* in general and leopard in particular has a very dubious reputation in Estonia (and I assume in other places). It is considered tacky and associated with women who are more concerned with looking sexy than they are with their… intellectual development. There are shades of ethnic prejudice as well that I don’t really want to get into, as it’s not something I want to reinforce.

A friend of mine recently said on Facebook that the leopard trend will never work in Estonia for these reasons and I promised to (try to) change her mind. I really think it’s time to get over this silly prejudice – leopard print is a classic and very versatile, it can look understated (yes, it can!), glamorous, badass, relaxed, whatever you need. No matter the mood, it always adds some excitement.

I am fully aware that I shouldn’t start my Leopard Redemption Series with this look (there are three in total), as it’s likely to reinforce people’s prejudices rather than overcome them. But as this outfit is so summery, I cannot wait much longer with posting it, so here we go. I believe if this is something you would generally be ready to put on, it’s a feasible going-out outfit also for the autumn – you can always add sheer black tights.

Despite the tacky codes here (or maybe because of them) I really, really like this look and wore the dress repeatedly after I bought it in London in the beginning of August. It is such an easy thing to throw on, although I admit it’s not particularly forgiving. You don’t have to wear something like this with trainers, it worked beautifully with my brown leather sandals and you can envisage it with anything from stilettos to loafers. You can also wear a t-shirt underneath or something on top – a blazer, a denim or leather jacket… There really a many styling options.

That said, I specifically like the contrast between the slip dress and the white trainers and I think the chunkiness makes the look more modern than it would be with, say, strappy high heels. The sunglasses add a high fashion touch and make it clear I’m not aiming at ‘pretty’. That’s the idea, anyway. You be the judge.

*It is not just leopard returning, but other animal prints as well. More on this in future posts.

Dress by Urban Outfitters, trainers by Nike, sunglasses by Celine. Images by Krõõt Tarkmeel, makeup by Reet Härmat, hair by Helen Heinroos Hair. Apologies to the BLRT Grupp for taking over their parking lot in Kopli.