Trend Alert: Black and White Check

Black and white bags (and indeed, entirely black and white ensembles) have been a certifiably huge trend for a little while now, but lately, something even more specific has emerged: black and white check bags, clothes and shoes. Most of us are probably familiar with the look on a classic pair of Vans slide-on sneakers, but the checkerboard and its variants have hit the big time with brands like Givenchy and Proenza Schouler.cheap michael kors wholesale

The checks vary from traditional squares to diamonds, triangles and classic houndstooth, but the look generally ends up being the same – graphic and modern, even if the shape of the piece is a bit of a throwback. If you’re new to wearing such a bold print, you might want to start small, but we’ve also included some extra eye-catching picks for the adventurous among us in our list of all things checked, below.

When I spoke to Net-a-Porter fashion director Holli Rodgers a few weeks ago regarding Pre-Fall and Fall 2013′s big accessories trends, she expressed a bit of a reticence toward animal prints, and leopard in particular. In fact, Rodgers reported that she had tried to make it through the whole buying season without adding any leopard-print bags to the Net-a-Porter fall roster, although that didn’t quite come to pass. She may not be the only person who’s experiencing a bit of animal print fatigue; pre-fall and fall collections still feature plenty of animal bags, but many of them have a less aggressive feel than in seasons past.michael kors bags online sale

With the notable exception of Gucci Fall 2013, animal prints, including leopard, zebra, giraffe and snake, feel more subtle in a variety of ways. On some bags, the materials are now implemented as trim instead of as the main attraction; on others, the contrast had been dialed down to make the print look paler than it might have been in past seasons. The most extreme example, of course, is tonal leopard, where only a difference in texture makes the print apparent. Check out the best examples of the trend below, and let us know – do you still love animal prints or are you ready for something new?discount michael kors wallets