Animal graphics wildly popular trend
Creatures claw their way in to fashion
Carnivorous creatures are no longer spectres of the wild.
Animal graphics, ranging from wolves and foxes to bears and tigers, are quickly becoming familiar faces in the world of fashion.
Both fluffy and ferocious fauna have clawed their way onto T-shirts and sweaters, where they now rein in stores and boutiques.
Verna Brown, product director for Aritzia, says the trend stems from our current obsession with animal prints. Why wear stripes and spots when you can embrace the entire beast?
“Anything seen as a badass animal” is popular, Brown says. “A little kitten isn’t going to do it. You need a tough animal.”
Verna says the trend — especially items depicting more predatory creatures, like bears and panthers — is also an extension of the grit we’re seeing in fashion right now. Blacks, washedout blacks and super-faded blacks are the it colours. Rock and grunge elements are popping up in clothing and accessory details today, and animal graphics seem to fit right in alongside them.
Come summer, Brown predicts that they might even migrate onto lighter colours, like whites.
Shauna Force and Linda Ritter, the duo behind Edmonton’s Salgado Fenwick, have been creating animal graphic T-shirts, tanks and sweaters for more than six years. In addition to the teeth-baring variety of animal, they’re also seeing more delicate creatures like owls and foxes spring up on garments, giving them a young, fresh and playful look.
“People always have an animal that they’ll gravitate toward,” Force says. “They’re endearing and people love them, so it’s easy to put them on and feel good about it.”
Ritter says a colourful attitude helps pull off animal graphics, as do the right wardrobe staples. If not worn correctly, they can run the risk of looking a little too childlike, harkening back to the schoolyard days where puppies frolicked on pastel coloured sweatshirts.
There are a number of ways to show off your spirit animal without looking childish. Brown suggests keeping with the grunge look by pairing T-shirts with ripped jeans and a leather jacket. If you wanted to dress it up a bit, leather pants or leggings can help make your outfit purr.
Force and Ritter say you can stray from the harderedged look by mixing graphic prints with other styles, so long as you stick with something a bit more tailored or structured.
Ritter and Force suggest styling them with a slim, black pencil skirt.
Blazers can provide a casual Friday feel, and chunky jewelry can add a bit of glitz.
“When it’s a simple Tshirt, you can play with the texture a bit more,” Ritter says. “Try a patterned heel or something.”
“Or a fun retro jacket,” Force adds.
If the shirt is at all flowy, though, make sure to tuck it in. And if you go with an oversized T-shirt instead of a baby tee, make sure to belt it.
In the end, Ritter and Force say the most important tip is owning the look.
“Really own it,” Force says. “If you look for your own personal style in the T-shirt, and you’re not necessarily following strict trends or anything, people will see your comfort level in it and that kind of gives it that extra ‘oomph.’ ”