How to wear dogtooth or houndstooth: DOs and DONTs

Wardrobe variation

Dogtooth or houndstooth is the perfect addition to a wardrobe full of solids (black, grey, navy...), especially in winter, not only in the form of a garment (a dress, a coat), but also an accessory (a handbag, a bracelet, or even a pair of shoes). It is also a great companion to strong blocks of colour.
Many designers revisit this pattern every year, especially among the British. Classic dogtooth is usually in black and white, but when it is really fashionable it can be found in other colours, or even mixed with animal prints (Dolce & Gabbana come to mind: green snake print and black and white houndstooth, that is, completely over the top, as one would expect from them).

How to wear houndstooth

Houndstooth is a graphic pattern that can make a big statement, so beware!

DOs

1. Chose a colour combination that looks good on you. The contrast it creates in B&W looks amazing only on Deep Winters and Deep Autumns (near their face, that is). In theory, also on Clear Springs, but I really do not recommend it, as I find it quite overpowering... why chose B&W when other colour combinations could be so much more flattering?
2. Choose the right size: big prints look good on big ladies, while petites would look overwhelmed, and viceversa.
3. Chose good tailoring. If this is a universal rule, it becomes even more important with graphic prints: the pattern should match at all seams perfectly, and the line it creates at the hem should be straight.

DONTs

1. Let the print or its colour overwhelm you: soft seasons should avoid this pattern in B&W and, in general, high contrast in their prints altogether. Petites should choose a small to medium size pattern, and tall, full-size women shouldn't wear minute prints.
2. Choose an inexpensive looking material, houndstooth has to be sharp and good quality or it looks very cheap indeed. No PU handbags either!

Happiness by Caroline Grant. A wardrobe of black and or gray can be accentuated by a dogtooth print. I actually wear this outfit, although with shoes, not boots (I don't like how my legs look with shorter skirts in boots). I just love how the print pops against the skirt and the rest of the outfit in plain black.

Hobbs Dogtooth Scarf / Unlimited Shrunken Tux Jacket / James Perse Turtleneck Top / Hobbs Ella Skirt / Dooney & Bourke Tassel Handbag / Hobbs Lucy Boots / Tory Burch Opera Gloves / Alejandra Ring / Tom Ford Lipstick in Rouge Fatal / Tom Ford Nail Lacquer in Smoke Red.

Equality by Caroline Grant. Dogtooth looks great next to any amount of bright colour, a dress here. The rest should be kept pretty simple, although there are some nice details.
The dress, for instance, has a lateral ruched seam that will do wonders for Body type Bs and Cs with a little extra in the middle. Consider that the jacket and gloves have a medium shine, while the shoes are suede: it's better to mix a couple of different textures of leather when you get dress, rather than going hyper-coordinated. L.K. Bennett makes this dress every season in different colours and materials, but the quality is not uniform. At all. Nude hosiery.
The earrings are antique and, therefore, quite expensive. Many brands do, however, lovely earrings with nice, good quality Austrian or Bohemian crystals (the best, by far, and not necessarily Swarovski).

Dolce & Gabanna Cropped Houndstooth Jacket / L.K. Bennett Davina Dress / Dooney & Bourke Tassel Handbag / Manolo Blahnik Carolyne Slingback Shoes / Aspinal of London Gloves / Anton Heunis Jet Black Carved Ring / Victorian French Jet Earrings at Trocadero (antique) / Nars Lipstick in Funny Face / MAC Nail Lacquer in Steamy.

Respect by Caroline Grant. An A-line, straight or pencil skirt in houndstooth is a great option for winter with an all-black outfit. A skirt that hits just above your knee would need to be complemented by a top with no décolleté, remember. I does not need to be a turtleneck, you can try a slash neck too or equivalent. It is not just that you would be showing too much skin, it's also that you could look short-waisted too. Black thick tights, please.
The coat is perfect for Body type As (short wide lapels, and the storm patches). Yes, it's 100% polyester, but then again, these coats usually are... easy to wash, though.
The pair of gloves is beautiful but pricey. What about adding a knitted arm to your leather gloves? Creating some sort of elastic by knitting is relatively easy, and the variety of colours huge. You can start with your basic black and/or brown pair.

Hobbs Damara Skirt / Temperley of London Cashmere Sweater / Hobbs Worcester Coat / Max and Co. Tote Handbag / Clarks  / Joan Shepp Leather and Cashmere Gloves / Monies Necklace / Estée Lauder Lipstick in Scarlet Siren.

Courage by Caroline Grant. An example of brown and beige dogtooth in the sweater top, perfect for Autumns. The contrast with the pattern in the jacket is subtle and acceptable. The jacket is great for Body type Cs (who look best in two/three-button jackets).
A long line for the legs is created with the boots, the skirt and nude hosiery.
A rather striking lipstick colour is accompanied by a neutral nail lacquer and makes the brooch pop (OK, they make each other pop). You can wear the charm bracelet over your gloves, so it will be visible peeping from the jacket's arms.

Jack Wills Austerberry Blazer Jacket / Circus Hotel Sweater / Lauren by Ralph Lauren Anika Skirt / Kate Spade Pilgrim Hill Quinn Handbag / Charles by Charles Davis Cory Boots / Dooney & Bourke Side Stichted Gloves / Alexis Bittar Amaryllis Brooch / Old Navy Colored Enamel Hoop Earrings / Paco Rabanne Vintage Charm Bracelet / Tom Ford Lipstick in Wild Ginger / Tom Ford Nail Lacquer in Créme Brûlée.

MORE? 
You can follow the label Know your prints.

CREDITS:
All these covers have created quite a stir but, after all, is that not what art is supposed to inspire?:
Background image for Happiness: The New Yorker cover June 2012 June Brides, by Gayle Kabaker. The magazine’s art editor, Françoise Mouly, found the image through her Blown Covers blog. Every week, she hosts a cover contest on the blog, open to all, with themes that closely mirror those she suggests to her regular contributors, from Father’s Day to books to the theme that reeled this image in: weddings. Kabaker was the first artist to make the leap from blog to cover. You can read some of the ideas it suggested to people by this cover at Nicole's blog badgirlchats.com.
Background image for Equality: The New Yorker cover June 1994 June Grooms,  by Jacques de Loustal. Every year, The New Yorker dedicates June to weddings, and June 1994 was dedicated, for the first time, to a gay couple.
Background image for Respect: The New Yorker cover June 1994 Girls Will Be Girls by Anita Kunz. Some ideas this cover has inspired at bagnewsnotes.com.
Background image for Courage: The New Yorker cover February 1993, The Kiss, by Art Spiegelman. This image was Spiegelman' first cover for The New Yorker to commemorate Valentine's Day, and caused quite a controversy, as it depicted a male Orthodox Jew and a black woman kissing. According to an interview with the author in the UPenn Gazette, his intention was to represent the two communities "making up" after the racial tension of the Crown Heights riots in Brooklyn.


This post does not contain any affiliated links.
This post first appeared October 2nd 2012. The sets have been changed and the information edited and expanded.

How to choose animal prints

What to choose

Animal prints are demanding, both in personality -none of the animal prints are for the faint-hearted: you do need to have the personality to carry them- and the taste level they require. The classical animal prints are feline and reptile, although you can also find zebra, giraffe.
You can find, of course, other prints but I would advise the utmost caution, because the taste level is always doubtful. Take for instance cow and dog (Dalmatian)...

If you are an animal print woman, you will probably find you have a favourite pattern and will probably stick to it. I am myself a leopard print person, albeit in moderation.

Feline. Leopard is probably the most wearable and subtle and them (a smaller-sized pattern that usually combines tones of the same palette), with ocelot as a close second and tiger slightly behind, as bigger and bolder.

Leopard by Caroline Grant. A wearable green dress is not easy to find, especially not one that can be taken to the office or the classroom. Green is also a nice counterpoint to the leopard print.
The leopard trench is great for Body type As: short wide lapels, double breasted and A-line. The shades or beige and brown, quite muted, make it everyday. The necklace continues the "wild" theme started by the trench.
I like the idea of loafers for work, plus a medium kitten-heel with pointy toes because they elongate the leg. However, traditional square-toed loafers look good on most legs and stacked heels are even more comfortable.

Hobbs Angel Trench Coat / Hobbs Elysia Dress / Brooks Brother Handbag / L.K. Bennett Linda Loafer Shoes / Monies Shell Necklace / Gucci Rolo Scarf / Tom Ford Lipstick in Scarlet Rouge / Tom Ford Nail Lacquer in Smoke Red.

Tiger Print by Caroline Grant. The construction of the LBD is very flattering for all body types: the vertical seams have a slimming effect, while the soft open pleats below the waist can be very forgiving.
The long gloves will keep your arms warm with a cape (or a three-quarter sleeve). These ones are Tory Burch but high-street brands also do long gloves every season in affordable prices.
The necklace, by Hervé van der Straeten can be found in all price lines: a hammered warm metal will always look more expensive than shiny, more wearable and less harsh for more mature complexions. Always go for glow instead of shine.
 The cape is just spectacular, and possible the most subtle tiger print out there.

M Missoni Tiger-print Cape / Reiss Ambrose Curved Dress / Gucci Lady Stirrup Handbag / Nine West Just Right Boots / Tory Burch Opera Gloves / Massimo Alba Wrinkled Scarf / Hervé van der Straeten Necklace / Hervé van der Straeten Bracelet / Tom Ford Lipstick in Wild Ginger / Tom Ford Nail Lacquer in Ginger Fire.

Reptile. Snake is versatile, and has been safely worn by older ladies for decades (in matching sets of handbag and courts), and has fallen in and out of fashion every half decade, with real snake having lagged quite back for most. Lately, new colour combinations and materials have revitalized it quite a bit, adding mostly python-themed items.

Python by Caroline Grant. This DVF skirt is the perfect juxtaposition of shape and colour: square angles against animal print, cobalt blue against black. The colour-blocking is very slimming. You can trust DVF to think about a woman's shape when designing.
The wool trench coat is just the ticket to keep you warm when the temperatures drop.
Good gloves in supple leathers that fit perfectly will last for a decade, so it's worth your while to invest in a good pair in one of your neutral shades.
The court shoes are romantic and ladylike, although a plain bootie would also complement the skirt. Choose one that elongates the line of the leg, so no horizontal lines at the opening.
The lips and nails are kept deliciously neutral while the eyes have to respond to the animal print, so some degree of smokiness in the eye makeup is in order.

DVF Paulina Python Jackard Skirt / Ted Baker Albine Wool Trench Coat / L.K. Bennett Kate Jacket / Gian Battista Valli Silk Ruffle Top / Hobbs Littleton Handbag / L.K. Bennett Molly Court Shoes / Tory Burch Opera Length Gloves / Anton Heunis Ring / Urban Decay Palette in Smoked / Tom Ford Lipstick in Indian Rose / Tom Ford Nail Lacquer in Mink Brule.

Zebra and giraffe. The first is a high-contrast, big-sized pattern and, therefore, not that easy to use for most. I'm not an enthusiast of giraffe, but there are nice things out there.

Zebra by Caroline Grant. A dress in simple lines and a neutral shade but interesting details (the black fringe) offers infinite possibilities for different moments of the day. This is day wear, with the neutral shoes (worn with nude pantyhose) and the shopper handbag.
The trench offers a much more subtle version of traditional B&W zebra, which is quite harsh for everybody but Deep Winters.

 Hobbs Totley Mac Coat / Orla Kiely Heavy Wool Dress / Mary Portas for Clarks La Wesley Court Shoes / Zara Two-toned Shopper Handbag / Daniela Swabe Dragon Drop Earrings / Aspinal of London Button Gloves / Asos Belt / Tom Ford Lipstick, Nail Lacquer and Compact in Black Orchid.

Abstract Animal Print by Caroline Grant. At the beginning, I put this print down as giraffe, but after a while I started to have my doubts. I researched giraffe fur patterns and it seems they come in different shades and slightly similar patterns according to subspecies, and none really fitted this one. Then I thought it reminded me of a crocodile, but its not that either. Ergo, abstract animal print. The necklace offers square lines to counterpoint the fluid abstract print.
There is a considerable amount of brown in this set (in the handbag, dress and jacket), but its made interesting by the different textures and print. The yellow in the sandals and in the scarf are a great zany counterpoint to them.

Hobbs Adeline Dress / Mango Suede Cropped Jacket / Radley Rollesby Handbag / Theory Toscana Shoes / Kate Spade New York Pyramid Hill Necklace / Henri Bendel Scarf / Salt Optics Cadence Sunglasses / Estée Lauder Mandarin Solid Perfume Compacts / Tom Ford Lipstick in Wild Ginger / Tom Ford Nail Lacquer in Ginger Fire.

Quality is all-important

Animal prints can go tacky VERY easily. Go for natural fibres like silk, wool, or mixes of them or, in the case of leather, printed calf-skin.
It is better to choose items from reliable brands in whose taste you rely if you are unsure about your own in this matter: let's say less Topshop or H&M (unless handled with extreme care), and more Ann Taylor or Hobbs. That does not mean that really high-end brands cannot be tacky or that high street fashion cannot be spot on, it is more that neither are producing thinking of working women in mind (at least, not realistically), but rather of someone out to make an statement or just experimenting with fashion.
Finally, consider the amount of "sex-appeal" suggested by the print. Italian designers do propose, agresively and well, sexy animal print pieces in the "hammer-to-the-head" modality. Think, for instance, in Cavalli or D&G, not to mention Versace. If this is what you want, well, now you know where to get it. If it is not, you can always choose a scarf by them. Every woman should do what she very well pleases in this subject although, unfortunately, you will fare better if you consider this issue first.
In any case, enjoy your animal prints!

B&W: Floral prints

B&W: Art Nouveau Flowers by Caroline Grant. Phase Eight makes several dresses in this shape and similar which are very flattering, but unfortunately, very bad quality, as I found to my regret after buying a Winnie (basically the same shape dress with a lovely rose pattern). I like patent leather for summer, it's less heavy for a black handbag than other options.
A figure-hugging dress in a jersey is perfect for Body type Bs. To keep my underwear unobstrusive with this kind of dresses by wearing some shapewear piece that goes from under the bra line and/or down my thighs. [Style: Modern Classic]

Phase Eight Samantha Dress / Mango Jacket / Lulu Guinness Black Patent Eva Handbag / J. Crew Viv Patent Flats / Aspinal of London Chain & Pearls Chain Scarf / Betteridge Trianon Ebony Cuff Bracelet / Amanda Pearl Gobstopper Ivory Earrings / NARS Semi Matte Lipstick in Heat Wave / NARS Nail Lacquer in Dovima.

How to wear B&W graphic prints. Part 2

What to consider:

1. The right proportions: the taller you are, the bigger the pattern you can carry successfully. A medium sized pattern, for instance, is best for those who are not petite. 



B&W: Stripes and Dots by Caroline Grant.You can mix prints in B&W plus use blocks of colours too, even colour-blocked items, like the sandals, and avoid being all matchy-matchy (the key to keeping any outfit up-to-date even when it leans to a classic style). [Style: Ladylike with a Twist].

Hobbs Invitation Leanna Dress / Linea Shrugh / Banana Republic Beaded Handbag / Zara Ankle strap Sandals / Debenhams Black Graduated Spotted Scarf / Kate Spade New York Small Clip Earrings / Yayoi Kusama for Louis Vuitton Infinity Dot Bracelet / Tom Ford Lipstick in Flamingo / Tom Ford Nail Lacquer in Fever Pink.    

How to wear B&W graphic prints. Part 1

A question of preference

You probably already know if you are a woman who goes for graphic or geometric prints or if you prefer flower patterns. I know I am mostly a graphics woman, although I indulge in small amounts of flowers sometimes.
Graphic patterns (stripes, chevron, tartan, dogtooth/houndstooth, geometric, polka dot, psychedelic patterns...) are a great way to complement a wardrobe full of solids and, if the tailoring is good, make for sharp, edgy garments and accessories.

Black &White: Deep Winters by Caroline Grant.The dress is contrasted with the blue jacket and accessories for great contrast. I love B&W with blocks of happy, contrasting colours. Red lipstick reigns, of course. [Style: Modern Classic].

Hobbs Invitation Adria Dress / Bardot Sleek Dinner Jacket / Kate Spade New York Post Street Madison Handbag / Zara Ankle Strap Sandals / Kate Spade New York Small Clip Earrings / Kate Spade New York Big Time Statement Necklace / Paul Smith Falling Iris Scarf / Yves Saint Laurent Lipstick in Rouge Vernis / Estée Lauder Nail Lacquer in Pure Red.

B&W: Big Checks

Checks can be utilitarian (lumberjack, gingham), but also high fashion, especially in black and white, good materials and great tailoring. The traditional big check or windowpane check has been renamed "noughts-and-crosses" for the purpose of making it very-last-minute.

What to look for:

1. The right proportions: the taller you are, the bigger the pattern you can carry successfully.
2. A pattern matching perfectly at the seams. Say a big NO to any item of clothing that does not match at the seams and keep your money.
3. You are wearing the print and not the other way round (and the print is slyly laughing  behind its sleeve, so to speak). First, you need to look good in black and/or white. Consider if off white and shades of grey are not perhaps a better option for you. Second, you need to look good in contrasting prints because, in a sense, they are very loud, and can be overwhelming for those with softer complexions.

B&W: Windowpane Check by Caroline Grant. "Windowpane check" is the traditional name for big checks. This Karen Millen dress is a great example of the pattern: not only the pattern matches exactl, but the symmetry is perfect. Thee detailing on the hips makes it ideal for Body type Cs and slim Body type Bs. A brightly coloured sandal is the perfect counterpoint to the dress, and so are the bracelets, a collaboration between Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama and Louis Vuitton [Style: Modern Classic].

Karen Millen Graphic Check Dress / Steffen Schraut Multi Grey Herringbone Leather-trimmed Coat/ Aspinal of London Hepburn Handbag / Theory Toscana Minorca Shoes / Yayoi Kusama for Louis Vuitton Infinity Dot Bracelets / Emporio Armani Earrings / Chanel Lipstick in Pirate / Tom Ford Nail Lacquer in Scarlet Chinois.

How to wear floral prints

We all like some kind of floral print. In my case, I lean towards the abstract and the graphic black and white, so I guess I have to confess that I am more of a graphics woman, but sometimes I love a flowery accessory.
Let's see some DOs (timeless, chic ways of doing floral prints) and DON'Ts (aging or, on the contrary, juvenile prints) of doing them.

DOs

• Choose a clean silhouette: minimal detailing like shirtwaist, wrap, or shift dresses.
• Prints in rich jewel tones, and vegetable and mineral colours.
• Combinations of black, white (off white, pale ivory), and gray.
• Hand painted (or that look like it) abstract florals, art inspired, and in unexpected colours.

How to Wear Floral Prints: Watercolours by Caroline Grant.

Reiss Fenella Side Panelled Coat / Karen MIllen Blossom Print Dress / Bimba & Lola Arizona Handbag / Chie Mihara Clotilde Shoes / Valentino Garavani Scarf / Ted Baker Faux Fur Hat / Diane von Furstenberg Two Tone Opera Gloves / Dolce & Gabbana Necklace / Carolina Herrera Earrings / Tom Ford Lipstick in Black Orchid/ Tom Ford Nail Lacquer in Black Orchid.