New Year’s resolutions are a big deal this time of year. They can come in as many shapes and forms as the people who make them. Some are huge life changes that require lots of planning and willpower; while others may be about adding a little adjustment here and there to spruce up or streamline things we do every day. I always say that it’s the small things that make the most impact, especially when it comes to style and fashion. So, making a resolution to step out of your comfort zone while putting yourself together for work, a party or special occasion, should be on that carefully written list as well. Learning to see ourselves differently in the literal sense can definitely help manifest those other changes we’d like to make in our lives as well. It’s all about taking that first step toward what can be a very attainable goal. This is where your local Goodwill store comes into play for you and your family all year round! By presenting you with an array of constantly changing clothing and fashion items at a fraction of retail, our stores will help you transition into the stylish person you’ve always wanted to be. While on set shooting some photos for our Living Amazing section, we decided to show how simple it could be to add some zest to your existing wardrobe with just one or two “new” items. I chose animal prints not only because they never go out of style, but because in many cases folks are a little fearful of adding them to their wardrobe. I will illustrate the ease with which you can pull together your own “call of the wild” in a confident way.

The first look is the more daring of the two that I put together. When you go with just one piece in an animal print, it should be a bold statement piece like the strapless leopard print dress I found for our model. I chose this dress since it was not a typical leopard print, and because it was done in blue, grey and black tones which makes it comes off as more sophisticated. This would be a perfect dress for an evening out, but could also be worn all year round. To make it more winter appropriate, I added a fitted, cropped leather blazer from Goodwill to make it feel less bare, but keep it stylish. As you can see from the photo our model looked dazzling! Accessories should be kept very simple when doing a statement dress like this one, so we used her silver necklace and earrings, and some peep-toe pumps in classic black from one of our stores. She looks ready for a chic party or night out with her guy right? This is the way to do animal prints proud!

On our second model I did a modern layered look that features animal print pattern mixing. Under her paisley and leopard print blazer is a small print leopard silk top. The key here is that they fall into the same monochromatic color families of peach, gold, black, ivory, and brown. She could wear the blazer with a solid top under it, and she could also layer this jacket over a simple dress for a more work-appropriate look. Here I went for a funky and casual jeans look. Dressing up a pair of your favorite jeans is easy, because they make a great backdrop for almost any pattern, but especially balance the animal prints quite well. 

No matter what resolutions you make for the new year ahead, you can be sure that Goodwill will be there for you to help inspire your creative-style makeover as you navigate the fashion tides of 2014. Happy New Year and thanks for supporting our mission!