WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE! FASHION AND ANIMAL PRINTS 2011

Lions and tigers and bears, OH MY! No, this isn't an article about prologues to songs in The Wizard of OZ, but about the newest and hottest fashion trend of everything animal in 2011. From Milan to New York, the runways this season were full of animal prints and, in some cases, actual animals themselves. Be they birds, mammals, or reptiles, practically no animal can be seen only in the jungle these days. All one needs to do is flip through the pages of the latest Vogue magazine and you'll see for yourself, it's a jungle out there.

Paintings of animals, pictures of animals, and even animal prints are appearing anywhere and everywhere in fashion today. You can find these "beastly" icons on clothes, jewelry, shoes, hair accessories, and, the topic for today, handbags. As the owner of StylishLeatherHandbags.com, I am definitely no stranger to the influence our animal friends have had on our fashion world. In fact, I have one entire category dedicated to fashion animal prints alone.

We are all very familiar with zebra, leopard, and tiger print. If you are a fan or have ever watched the TV reality series Jerseylicious, then you are probably more familiar than most with these types of animal prints. However, gaining popularity in the handbag world is an entirely new breed of animal prints and designs. The crocodile print is an extremely popular animal print in the handbag industry right now. It might surprise you to find that it would be very unlikely for you to find a green croc print handbag. As bold, bright color is another popular trend as well, most of these croc print handbags come in bright, bold, eye-catching colors. When combined with the right color combination and texture, the croc print handbags are some of the most beautiful handbags to be found on my website.

Another extremely popular animal print is the snakeskin print. This is actually a very beautiful print and looks absolutely gorgeous on a handbag. These particular handbags have a very exotic appeal to them because of their unusual design. Going one step further, some handbag designers go so far as to create specific snakeskin print bags. For example, a python print handbag. Does this sound strange? Perhaps. Does it make a unique, stunning handbag? You bet.

Although I have already mentioned zebra prints, when created in different ways, these too can seem new and exciting. The black and white zebra print is still a very fashionable, stylish way to go but handbag designers have taken the zebra look one step further. Instead of black and white the newest handbag trend I have seen is black and hot pink and, on some handbags, a little glitter thrown in. There are always techniques and tricks to transform the average, everyday into new and exciting for those who know how to do it.

Lastly, although there are still many more prints to mention, the ostrich print handbag is another exotic and beautiful way to go if you are looking for an animal print handbag but still want to be unique. This is a look that not everyone will love. Distinctly unique from any other animal print discussed so far, this print is basically leathery material with small round bumps. While it has a distinct look that may appeal to many, there are those who will not be drawn to this very unique animal print. Personally, combined with the right colors in the right way, I think it is definitely going to catch on.

Whether your taste is drawn to the classic mammal prints or whether you prefer to take a walk on the more exotic side, when it comes to handbags, the designers today have got you covered. We definitely live in a world full of beautiful textures and designs, most of which come from nature, so why not take advantage and adorn ourselves in the prints and colors that our animal friends are wearing? And, if you ever get the chance to thank a crocodile for the inspiration, he might just tell you, "Welcome to the jungle".