Eva Mendes walked on the wild side with a chic tiger print dress styled with pointed heeled boots on a winter shopping trip.
It’s easy to feel daunted by the idea of wearing a lot of pattern but leopard print’s resurgence in popularity this year has shown that animal prints can actually be far more wearable than you might imagine. They work so well with neutral staples, denim and jewel tones and can be made more subtle or statement depending on which accessories and layers from your winter capsule wardrobe you wear them with. Tiger print is a choice we haven’t considered quite as much this year but it ticks all these boxes and Eva Mendes has just proved how chic it can be as the base of a winter outfit.
She recently shared pictures of her enjoying a shopping trip and her outfit gave us plenty of inspiration. In her caption Eva confessed that she doesn’t go clothes shopping often as she loves “re-wearing stuff” and reaching for vintage pieces. However, when she does “decide to splurge” it’s on Stella McCartney, whom she's an Ambassador for, so it’s no surprise her dress is Stella too.
Shop Tiger Print Dresses
This print might be described by the brand as leopard print, but the stripes look very tiger-like and it's a gorgeous piece for both the daytime and for evenings out. The waist tie is adjustable and the pleated skirt is a lovely detail.
If you're a fan of striped prints and flowing midi dresses then this stand-out piece is worth the investment. It's got slightly flared sleeves that fall to a bracelet length and it's crafted from crepe de chine and trimmed with delicate lace. The waist ties mean that you can adjust the fit to be more cinched or looser.
The abstract print on this midi dress very much resembles tiger stripes and the deep maroon and beige tones are gorgeous for winter. There are buttons down the front and the sleeves are billowy. Style with knee high boots and a longline cosy coat.
Shop Accessories Like Eva Mendes'
Eva Mendes might not have bought the Stella McCartney bucket hat but if you love the look of it and don't want to invest quite so much in an accessory, then this affordable alternative is a brilliant way to emulate this style. It also comes in several other colours and is so easy to wear on cold days.
Also available in various other beautiful shades, these simple black heeled boots have a chic square pointed toe and will look stunning with your dresses and skirts this winter. They're made from leather with a rubber sole and we're not surprised they're selling fast.
Sleek and minimal, these knee high boots are the perfect finishing touch for a winter outfit. They have soft System® comfort technology and have a very subtle Western-inspired design with the buckle and pointed toe.
The £890 Tiger Print Puff Sleeve Midi Dress is still available in some sizes and it’s made from soft stretchy fabric, with a streamlined silhouette that has a slinky feel. The pleated skirt flares out subtly towards the bottom with a beautiful drape to it and the hem is asymmetrical.
Feminine puffed sleeves add more structure and the turtleneck design works so well for winter. If you’ve not been tempted so far by leopard print but love the idea of adding a pattern into your outfits then opting for a tiger print piece like a dress, blouse or skirt could be the answer. Eva Mendes’ tiger print dress - which we saw her wear back in September too - had this pattern running all over it, though it was incredibly delicate.
The stripes followed the flow of the different sections of the dress and the colour combination of the beige background tone and chocolate brown stripes softened the print too. This made it very wearable - only a small step away from wearing a dress with horizontal stripes.
Black and white zebra print, a micro leopard or jaguar print or even a snake print are also great alternatives to a traditional leopard pattern if you want something slightly less bold. Selecting more neutral colours like Eva did is another great tip if you want to easily pull off these prints.
Eva Mendes could easily have dressed down her outfit with flat boots or even trainers, but she upped the glamour with a pair of glorious heeled boots. They were black and looked like knee high boots, with a sharply pointed toe that had a dramatic feel. Eva’s boots were very streamlined and elegant under the more flowy hem of her dress.
This contrast was stunning and although not everyone will want to wear such high heeled boots during the day, boots like this would complete any of your evening looks or Christmas party outfits. They instantly elevate an outfit and make it seem that bit more glamorous.
Eva also carried a matching black bag and in several of the pictures she shared on Instagram she was seen trying on a fluffy Stella McCartney hat. Sadly, she didn’t buy it as she regretfully declared in the caption, “I shoulda got that hat”, but it brought cosiness to this look and would have been a great accessory to see her through the colder months.
No matter what she bought - or didn’t - on her shopping trip, Eva Mendes’ tiger print dress and boots were a combination that has inspired our wishlist for winter.
