Wild Kingdom

I’m still on a hunt for that perfect leopard print coat (faux, bien sur!). I bought one on ebay last year which turned out to be WAY too large, and not of a nice enough material to warrant altering. I’ve stumbled across a few in a range of price points, but my coat still eludes me. When it comes to leopard prints, sometimes there’s not a lot of breathing room between outspoken-but-classic and brash-and-vulgar, and alas, most of what I’ve seen resides on the wrong side of that divide.

Some of what’s out there right now…

Nanette Lepore, in velvet, $635. I’d be tempted if it were single- rather than double-breasted.

Michael Kors, $158. Many of Mr. Kors’ designs lean rather too far into garish, LookAtME! territory for my taste, and this jacket is no exception.

Charles Gray, $278. Meh.

Jones New York Signature (reversible) $169. Yowza. I’ve seen this one up close. Once was enough. The print itself is alright, but the fabric and faux-leather detailing are beyond tacky.

St. John, ….$1095 ?! Crikey. Someone has been smoking crack, and it’s not me. I wouldn’t pay $10.95 for that ghastly thing.

But thanks to reader Dana, I now have my eye on this one:

Garnet Hill, $200.

Also, I’ve noticed that many retailers seem to use the words “Leopard” and “Cheetah” interchangeably. But they do have different spot patterns. Here’s your Zoology lesson for today:

Leopard.

Cheetah.

~

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13 Comments

  1. That cheetah looks pissed off. I just saw a great coat yesterday but now I can’t remember where it was. Maybe on a vintage site. I’ll try to find it again.

  2. arabella – I haven’t seen that series, but now may need to search for it on BBC America. Love those brassy barmaids!

    Wendy – well you’d be pissed off too if you had to chase down a gazelle any time you wanted a late afternoon snack. 😉 Thanks for looking for the coat; I never seem to have any luck finding them on ebay or vintage when I’m actively looking.

    Karen – it was seeing your vintage cheetah that put me back on safari to find one. Yours is lovely and you wear it so well!

  3. I really like the Garnet Hill too but you’ll have to see it in your very own den to judge. Still kicking myself for hauling a really fab cheetah swing coat with big black suede collar to a resale store b/c le Duc said he did not like fake fur.
    Good luck, Pseu!

  4. I think the Garnet Hill is the best of the pride (?).
    The northern English soap “Coronation Street’ had a great character – the barmaid at The Rover’s Return pub, called Bette Lynch. She’d have loved the Jones NY coat, bless ‘er. And with her blond bee-hive and big white earrings, it would have looked perfect on her. Definitely not the outspoken classic side of the line!

  5. I want Karen’s coat. But, since it is not for sale—I too like the Garnet Hill the best. I am off to Garnet Hill and maybe I will get some sheets while I am there. Love their bedding.

  6. For real cheetah action make sure to see the movie Duma. As for coats, G Hill is the best so far. Brenda Kinsel has nice comments on matching the background color of faux leopard to your hair color.

  7. LBR – good to know about the bedding. I’m woefully unfamiliar with Garnet Hill.

    Duchesse – Oh, what a shame! My hub doesn’t much care for the leopard print stuff either, but his tastes are more conservative than mine.

    anon – I have not heard of the movie Duma, but will definitely check it out. My favorite Leopard programming is from National Geographic Channel.

    arabella – I’m off to search YouTube now!

  8. Deja- ‘Corrie’ is produced by the other side: independent television, and so not available on the Beeb. Bet you can catch some moments on You Tube, though. The black and white era was the best.

  9. anon – what’s their return policy? If it appeals to you, it might be worth ordering it (especially at that sale price!) to try on. One thing I’m learning is that sometimes things look/work better in person than I’d imagined from the picture.

    And I say we worry less about “dressing our age” and just wear what we like and feel in tune with.

  10. Signals has a faux Persian lamb coat that I have been looking at for a while, but I am not certain that I can pull it off with my coloring, age, and personality:

    Plush velvet coat