Inspiration Board: Maria - Trenched Leopard

It's quite gray here and those annoying weatherpeople keep threatening rain (booooo). The only good thing about rain is that is gives one a chance to break out bright rainboots and umbrellas. Otherwise... booo. It's hard to be inspired when the sky is gray or it's drizzling (which makes me need to say this), so I like to save up fun looks for these special I-don't-know-what-clothes-I-want-to-get-soaked-in kind of days. Maria, who always has a way of using fashion to add a spark to life, wore this look awhile back and  I've hung on to it for just such an occasion as this. She does a few things here that make this look pop. The foundation is your standard black slim fit top (tank, short-sleeve or long-sleeve/thermal, depending on the current temperature and your reaction to it) and leggings (feel free to sub in skinny jeans or ponte pants). She adds a shot of color to this basic canvas with a striped shirt in lighthearted red and white. I love the idea of a print in wet weather; it's even more playful than a bright solid color! If you don't feel al stripey, definitely consider dots, paisleys, geometrics, even a chic toile. She also knotted the shirt, a favorite styling of mine. It's casual, but more polished than un-tucked or a half-tuck and it lets you control where the visual waist of your look is. Next, she finished the look in such an intriguing way: what better to add to a gray-day outfit than hot and wild leopard print? Maria went with leopard rainboots, which are about as fab as rain boots can get! If you don't possess a pair, let the cat out another way: a leopard belt, leopard baseball cap or newsboy, leopard cuff, leopard scarf. Or, swap the placement and go with a leopard top and red rain boots. Lastly, Maria finished the look with an anorak/field jacket/barn jacket. The laidback vibe of this type of jacket suits this outfit perfectly, but you could just as appropriately shade things in a more polished direction and employ a classic trench. The longer topper adds an interesting proportion-play to the mix. Also, while I'm pretty sure her jacket is black, the photo makes it look olive, which would be another awesome color to blend into this mix. I especially love the idea of olive with leopard, so consider that as an option if red's off your radar atm. PS if it happens to not be raining or gray wherever you are, make this look a dry/sunny weather outfit by swapping the rainboots for leopard (or red) ballet flats or pumps.