I remember my first animal-print purchase like it was yesterday. It was October of 1987, and I stumbled across a $10 Dalmatian-print velvet pillbox hat at Aaardvark’s on Melrose—love at first sight! That Halloween I went as some kind of weird Madonna-Dalmatian hybrid, with the spotted hat, matching shoes and lots of black ruffles and lace in between. I loved this particular hat/shoe combo so much that it turned up the next Halloween, too, as part of a Jackie O. costume. If I hadn’t worn the hat AND shoes to actual pieces, I’d probably still have them both in occasional rotation to this day.

Which is all to say: For better or worse, I have a long, well-documented history of building entire outfits around a single funky piece. Other than the 10 pairs of nearly identical ultra-dark skinnies, my closet is basically the Island of Misfit Clothes. But weirdly, I am also what my friend Hillary calls a Matchy Bitch; my instinct to match shit together perfectly is so strong that I’m actively trying to unlearn it—or at least channel it into something more interesting. And so when I found this weird little leopard raglan top, I wore it a few times with black jeans and boots before finally heaving myself outside the box.

Unsurprisingly, these bright orchid skinnies are the funky piece around which some OTHER matchy-matchy outfit was built. Everything went together really well…perhaps too well, which is often my problem. So I was shocked to learn that the “shop your closet” approach really does work. The color-pop kitten look pictured here is my favorite deployment yet of every piece pictured; it’s edgy and fun without feeling completely overdone. But more importantly, it’s 100% me: perfectly imperfect.

I'M WEARING

Leopard Raglan Sleeve Top with Faux Leather Trim (similar here and here)
Henry & Belle Super Skinny Ankle in Orchid
Ivanka Trump Stacked-Heel Boots (similar here and here)
Kate Spade Kia Sunglasses
Gorjana Chevron Necklace (similar here and here)
H&M Laser-Cut Snakeskin Clutch (similar here and here)