Animal Print to Work? Yes, Yes You Can.

It's a common misconception (at least in my opinion) that animal print has no place in the professional/semi-professional setting.  I believe that it most certainly can be done, if you pick the right prints and class it up a bit.  Observe:

Of course, the use of animal print is all within reason.  Would [this] fly in my work setting?

As cute and fun as that is... no, it would not work.  The key is in picking the right animal print - stick with natural, more neutral tones (neon cheetah isn't going to cut it) in a flowy, blousier fabric/style to soften the print even further.  Here's an example currently [available] from The Limited:

For my outfit, I chose to belt my top and wear it with skinny black dress pants from Banana Republic.  To bring out some of the other tones in the top, I wore gray flannel low pumps with a shiny black heel from Nine West and grabbed a gray and black bag.  My necklace is actually a long single strand, but I twisted it like the pearl bead necklace from [yesterday's post].  Put it all together and you've got a sleek look with a touch of wild, a touch of shine, and all class for a day at work.

Top: The Limited
Belt: The Limited
Pants: Banana Republic
Shoes: Nine West [buy here - on sale for only $31.60!]
Bag: ESPE
Bracelet/necklace/earrings: All old, unsure