Cougar Style & Why You Need It
I know quite a few well experienced women avoid wearing animal prints. Heck, we’re being told women over 30! (seriously?) should avoid it.
Why?
It looks fabulous on older women!
In fact, I didn’t wear animal prints until after I turned 40.
My favourite example of a gorgeous woman wearing animals prints is the incredible Mrs. Robinson from The Graduate.
She wore animal prints in every scene. She was in fact, the first female “cougar” pre-dating the term commonly used today, describing a woman that prefers dating younger men. Her character in the film is predatory in nature and supremely confident. She knows what she wants and she isn’t afraid to go after it, regardless of her age.
She has amazing cougar style.
While researching the term “cougars” for this post I stumbled across this on WikiHow, “How to Know if a Woman is a Cougar”
“Pay attention to her self-confidence. In general, the older a woman gets, the better she knows herself and what she likes, and the more confident she becomes.
Some signs that she is confident:
Good posture: whether sitting or standing, a person with good self-confidence will likely have a straight back and a head that is well-balanced on the neck, with the chin pointed neither too high nor too low.
Relaxed: a person with good self-confidence will likely seem relaxed in most situations, perhaps looking around the room with an easy smile, or just seeming generally calm and at peace with herself. She won’t be very fidgety.
Eye contact: confident people make eye contact and maintain it in social interactions. That said, there’s a difference between maintaining eye contact and staring intimidatingly at someone: looking someone in the eye roughly 60% of the time you are talking to them is a good rule of thumb.”
I quite like the fact that a cougar is described as a very confident woman. Nothing wrong with that.
I have been searching for a Mrs. Robinson – cougar style coat for years now. I stumbled across this one while thrifting a few weeks back and have been wearing it often. A swing coat with an undefined waist isn’t normally my style, but I’m loving the added warmth and freedom of a larger coat.
And yeah, I feel pretty damn confident when I wear it.
The fringe boots were also thrifted the same week.
I’m still trying to decide if they are keepers. They might be 1″ too high for my sensitive feet.
A shame though since they are seriously fierce.
When I tried them on at Talize two women came up to me and told me I had to buy them. Funny how that always seems to influence me.
I don’t even need to have my enabling friends around!
I manage to find complete strangers that are enablers.
#truestory
#pugspotting
Zoë always wants to get in on the action.
This coat is vintage, made in Montreal. I think it is 1960’s-1970’s. I moved the buttons on the coat about seven inches over so it fit better when closed. It is lined in a glorious burnt orange colour, very close to the colour of my hair.
#madeforme
Here are some other ways I’ve worn cougar style or animal prints.
Do we automatically assume an older woman wearing animal prints is a cougar on the prowl?
Is that why women over thirty aren’t supposed to wear them?
Are women wearing animal prints deemed too confident, too sexy, too powerful?
Are people threatened?
How do you feel about cougar style or wearing animal prints?
I cannot disagree more !
In fact I was appalled last year in Colombia when an “image consultant” said that it was a pattern all women should avoid.
I love the patterns and think you can rock it regardless of age – you wear it beautifully in so may ways.
Thanks Lorena : )
Animal prints are a classic.
Hi Suzanne,
I love this coat on you, and animal prints suit you. I like that you don’t over do it, just one great piece per outfit.
Great subject, I also didn’t do any animal prints until last year at the age of 46. I bought a scarf and man I rocked that scarf more than any other I had worn the whole spring/summer season. Living in NL a scarf and layers are necessary as it is damp here mostly through the summer.
When I was younger I always thought them tacky looking because many seem to wear too many at once or don’t know how to pair them with things.
But it is fashion blogs like yours that gave me inspiration to try it out. Since I have bought one or two more items with animal prints.
(much better posting on a PC, doing it from my mobile phone is a nightmare the thing skips and I can’t scroll to double check my post as I go along)
I’m so delighted you’ve been inspired to try out a few more animal prints. I truly do believe that they add so much visual interest and quite a bit of sass.
hmmm, maybe I shouldn’t try too much, I already have enough sass, so I have been told:(
Gets me in trouble sometimes, hehehe.
That is an EXCELLENT leopard print! I love both the coat and fringed boots on you.
Yeah, I was pretty chuffed when I stumbled across the coat. I didn’t think it would fit as it was marked as “large” but once I tried it on it was pretty much game over. I knew I could make it work.
That is the joy of thrifting, you never know what you’re going to stumble across.
You look fabulous, Mrs. Robinson (wasn’t Anne Bancroft gorgeous in that role – and she was about 38 years old). I don’t think of animal prints as having an age; you show that a 40-something can wear as much or little animal print as she pleases. Confidence – that’s really it, yeah?
She was 35. Only 6 years older than Hoffman.
Isn’t that INSANE? The irony.
This coat looks like it was made for you. More and more I am finding I really do not want to seek “professional” advice given online like blanket style statements. I wear pattern, like a lot of pattern and I could not see me being happy any other way. I may not have a lot of animal, but I still love it.
Another thing I had to give attention to is the pic that you belted a denim jacket. I have never seen that done and am giving you warning I am going to steal that trick!
Janeane
http://www.designingfrommycloset.wordpress.com
Like you, I have a love of belts.
I think you would totally rock the jean jacket belted : )
🙂 I love this coat on you! It suits you so well!
I remember that my father’s godmother would wear lots and lots of “cougar”style coats in the 60’ies and ’70ies and I loved it as a child. She was always special to me. I have a coat and a jacket in a leo print – they must be nearly 15 years old – they never seem go out of fashion. Wear them with black or with jeans.
Cougar style? I couldn’t care less. I like them!
Have a very HAPPY weekend 🙂
Oooh…I hope you wear the coat on your blog soon. I’d love to see you in it with your dark hair…must look gorgeous!
Suzanne, all I can say is that there must be a helluva lot of cougars out there, and if they’re all rocking animal print like you do, then women’s fashion is all the better for it. I love this swing coat on you – it’s very classy in my book. (And I think I also have a slightly longer version of this stashed away in my “archive” somewhere!) Oh, if you need to get rid of these boots then consider me first in the queue – I’m a UK size 5/38.
Anna x
Okay…you are first in line lady should I decide to pass on the boots : ) I think they would fit you. I’m usually a size 37 but these are a 38.
So, I always like you in an animal print, but, seriously, this coat my be my new fave on you! So effortlessly chic. Also- really agreed that I think a lot of “cougar” age women really rock animal prints. I feel like, than the woman’s age, what the print is on (i.e. bag, shoes etc.) and how it is worn makes the bigger difference. Animal prints can look twardry or incredibly chic! depending on what it is paired with As with everything, its how one pulls it off.
Also- I’d never noticed that about Mrs. Robinson. Good excuse to rewatch The Graduate.
The Graduate is such a great film to watch. It gets me every time.
The coat looks amazing on you! And the boots are amazing, too! I can see why these enabling strangers told you you had to get them!!! 🙂 Hope you can make them work! And if not, at least you gave them a try…
I also love all the other outfits with animal prints. You wear animal prints so well. It’s always just the right amount!
I’ve decided I “need” some animal print shoes or an animal print belt…
I think they are a great “go-to” for spicing up an outfit and truly to go with anything.
The fact that some men are threatened by confident women is their problem, not ours. And Mrs. Robinson was HOT. I was around when “The Graduate” came out and can report that many, many people were intensely aroused by her wardrobe. In fact, her stocking-clad leg was turned into a symbol for the entire movie.
I remember that poster with her leg : )
Rawr! You are gorgeous! And I can’t resist when strangers enable me either…it makes me think it really must look great if someone that isn’t my friend is trying to get me to buy it. I wonder if the stores put them up to it??? Just kidding!!!
JJ
Ha ha! That would be quite the job. What do you do? Oh, I’m a paid enabler. I actually think I’d be quite skilled at that!
People are threatened. Ha! I hope they are. When we’ve lived a good long life those youngens ought to give us some respect. You and Zoe are rocking the animal prints. I love that that coat has an orange lining. Unfortunately I cannot wear leopard because I have too many freckles and it just becomes way too redundant. But I love it on you. Coo coo ca choo.
I can never see your freckles! I also have freckles. I hated them as a kid. I was always called freckle face. Now though I’d rather have freckles than age spots. I fear the age spots are winning out right now. I don’t feel good about being called age spot face! Ha ha!
I can’t see your freckles either. It’s just that the freckles on my legs and arms have gotten darker as I’ve gotten older. It really started to happen in my late 50’s. I guess they ARE age splots. Yoiks. Is it full body make-up for me? Or muu muu time?
We need to start a business with spray on full body make-up. It’s easier than trying to make age spots trendy.
I saw the fabulous Lauren Hutton on the street in New York about a year ago. I think she’s around 67. She had age spots galore! Legs, arms, face, chest. And she still looked amazing. Sadly the spots are always air brushed out in photos. Seriously. She looked simply gorgeous. Her hair was messy and she was wearing a baggy dress. Still amazing. Unfortunately I don’t have the bone structure, figure or confidence of Lauren Hutton. So yeah, full body spray on.
If people are threatened they need to get over it. You look fabulous in it! The coat is perfect. And I love the peeking pug!
She always wants to get in the photos. Half the time I’m kicking her out.
What I need to do is find a little leopard coat for her, and then we can pose as twinsies.
You know you’ve stepped over the line when…
You look great in all the outfits and like Melissa says it was reading your blog that inspired me to start wearing animal print.
Thanks for the positive image of cougars – they get a bad press here in Paris.
My husband who is from Nice, also has quite a few bad stories about cougars. It is such an unfair double standard.
So glad I’ve inspired you a bit.
I have a very similar coat and have been wearing it all the time during the two past months in Holland.
I love animal print. You look great in it too!
I hope I get to see the coat at some point : ) It must look wonderful on you.
Gosh, Suzanne!
These animal print outfits are off-the-scale-sexy!
No wonder the bitter and miserable people in the world are trying to get them banned on the over-40’s.
Animal print does not have the same impact on a younger woman. These look mean business on someone over the age of 35.
BUT, you also need the attitude to match!
Animal prints look a bit sad without a fierce attitude inside them.
It is your best accessory!!
I am totally inspired to give more animal print a go.
That jumpsuit…swoon!!
That split skirt??? Holey moley…hot or what???
As for Cougars…I think certain women (and men) can feel threatened by confident older women and try to label them as something negative, to be either feared or pitied.
I say ignore them.
In fact THEY are the ones to be pitied!
I admire (and am inspired by) anyone who has confidence to ROCK a splash (or a whole load) of animal print.
You do it with complete individuality and flair!
Bravo!!!
XXX
Samantha
*These LOOKS mean business.
I totally agree. Attitude and confidence is everything.
That jumpsuit is vintage! Sweet right? I could see you rocking it no problem.
Heaven forbid older women might be sexual, confident and not giving a shit about the male-gaze (or for that matter – the self-appointed appropriate-apparel policewomen of the parish). Animal prints seem to be just a lazy cypher for ’embarrassing’ mature ladies that didn’t get the memo about fading away once they hit 25.
Oh bless – some people’s minds are SO narrow they can be TOTALLY SHAKEN by faux leopard – LMAO. Too easy 🙂
I couldn’t agree more.
Refusing to fade into oblivion after a certain age is just so radical and shocking.
While demographics slowly shift in our favour I hope that old fashioned narrow views shift along with it.
I have no respect for those that play along with the cookie-cutter body image/aspirational deficit peddled by the media in general. This whole thing of living in the golden age of entitlement – where everyone ‘deserves’ stuff and their special snowflake opinions need to be expressed loudly and tiresomely, rather depressing.
I like the old-fashioned notion of manners and people being at liberty to be themselves without some feckwit spoiling it. Gah. Life is for living.
That poem about being old and wearing purple needs revisiting to include animal print, lurex and pleather.
Amen sister. Amen.
BTW…you need to get together with Melanie (Bag and a Beret) I think you’d get along fabulously!
I agree completely with Elaine!
Amen to that sentiment…..it is too easy.
XXX
Samantha
Uh oh, I feel a rant coming on… Quick, get me chocolate and vodka!!
Why aren’t fierce, confident, relaxed men called by an animal name? Well, yeah, sometimes I call them by animal names but they tend to be the barnyard variety, especially when they are older men leering and salivating over tween girls. I hate that name cougar for this reason but I love to wear it in WTF defiance, and it looks good. We OWN it. Girls should be weaned as cougars.
This coat is a TREASURE!! You look amazing in it, and all your other cougar outfits. YOU own it!! Great post.
I know…I could rant on about the double standards forever.
I absolutely cringe at the way some men are described as being a grey/silver fox. Apparently we all seem to have – not sell or use by dates – but f-ability dates. So well done to all of us older folks for being vaguely sexually attractive. And for wearing animal prints.
Deary me.
Ha, haaaaaaaaa!!!
I never wore any animal print before I started blogging but I can’t get enough of leopard now. I love your coat and have been wanting one like it for some time but with our warm temps (it’s 80s this weekend!) I have zero need for it. I will just admire yours and maybe I can borrow it when you get tired of it.
Thank you for joining TBT Fashion link up and hope to see you next week. Have a great weekend!
Alice
http://www.happinessatmidlife.com
80’s? Wow! I think we will be waiting till July when we see that here, although I can’t complain this winter. It has been very mild and we have no snow. Very rare for us.
I will let you borrow the coat when you come to visit : )
I’m not a fan of animal print – except for on shoes. I have a pair of platform leopard ankle boots but one day I put them on to head to a party and the big clunky soles came off of BOTH boots as I was walking. I almost broke a leg trying to look sexy. I refuse to let go of those boots – I WILL find someone to fix them dnagit…. I mean dangit… I – grr…. dang it. Shut up -don’t judge me.
I am absolutely in love with this coat. If you ever get tired of it, please send it to me. I will pay good money for it.
The boots are indeed very cool. Shame if it turns out you cannot walk on them.
As for your questions… I never think of those things.
Greetje
You look fantastic in animal print, dear Suzanne.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
I love a bit of animal print, leopard print in particular, but have only worn it as I’ve got older. The coat is divine, nice find! We had a beautiful leopard print faux fur coat donated to the shop – vintage 1960s, immaculate. gorgeous. And I refrained from snapping it up for myself and selflessly sent it for stock in the new vintage shop – I deserve a medal for self-control!
How I hate the term “cougar”. I hate all those reductive labels pinned on women. It doesn’t seem to me to be about confidence so much a pejorative description, older woman as predator, it’s not a compliment. Any more than “yummy mummy” or “MILF” are compliments.
PS. The leg featured on the posters for The Graduate belonged to Linda Grey, not Anne Bancroft – interesting though useless fact of the day! xxx
This is very interesting. I do think that terminology is internalized and very subjective. Women taking back the word cougar on their own terms and deciding for themselves what it really means is a way of taking a negative and turning into a positive. In the same way that “old” is viewed as negative changing our perception is a step towards changing the meaning of the word.
Fun fact about Linda Grey’s leg!
Actually, I also find those type of words not so complimentary. What happened to just saying nice things like pretty, sexy, dresses nice.
I get the whole reference in this blog post and it is fun, but I wouldn’t want to actually be called a cougar. It references that I am an older predatory woman. Sorry folks but the day I gotta chase a man, any man whether he be younger than me, older than me, my age, is the day I hang up my hat. I am still old fashioned that way, I like the feeling that a man makes an effort to be with me, or show me he likes me.
Anyway, the MILF comment reminds me of when my son was 16, I dropped him to his basketball game, when I came to pick him up he said Mom don’t ever come into the gym with me again.
I said why, he said the guys said dude your sister is hot hook me up. He said shut the F*** up that’s my Mom, their response, “Woohoo dude your Mom is a MILF!” I had no idea what a MILF was before that, very insulting accronym.
Needless to say while it was funny, I found it creepy to have someone so young look at me that way. Poor kid, one time he brought home a new friend, introduced us the kid just stood there with his jaw dropped, my son said dude, hey dude knock it off man.
Yep creepy…. I never understood when people are interested in someone so much younger than them, men or women. The youngest I ever dated was 9 years younger than me I found that extremem, and while we looked fine together, no one noticed the difference, I just didn’t want to be someone else’s mother, we weren’t together long, but that is cause I didn’t ever want to feel like that so broke it off.
When I am with a guy I want him to be my age or a wee bit older, I want to feel like the man is the man in the relationship, and how can you have that with a guy that could be the age of your own kids…..
Sorry, opened up another whole ball of wax….. Rant over:)
I’ve never seen the Graduate! I should watch it just for the fashion if that still of her in that leopard coat is anything to go by. Grrr! x
What? Put that on your MUST SEE list! Seriously. It was my favourite movie for about 20 years.
So the good thing is I adore the Graduate (damn, how sexy was Brancroft and then to do a complete turnabout in Agnes Of God!!), and even better, that I never even knew what the term cougar meant until a year or so ago. And because of that, I didn’t think twice about wearing animal prints and have been wearing them for as long as I can remember. Love them to death. Would wear them to just about anywhere and everywhere.
I will say this about animal prints though. It’s a fine line between confident/sexy, and in-your-face trashy, and that’s something which you’ve managed to nagivate with absolute panache, Suzanne. I adore that jumpsuit and the shirtdress (??) with the leather obi belt. Amazing. Simply amazing.
roarrrr, I’m loving your coat, and loving your post indeed!, and all those brilliant comments!
I’ve only worn animal print a few years ago, as many commenters said too!, I think all we’re embracing animal print as a statement of our own coolness and confidence!!. When I was younger, I thought that faux fur was kinda kitsch and funny to wear, but not my style. Now I’m loving it!
besos
Can you believe I’ve never seen The Graduate, although I am aware of it’s impact. I have a coat like that, but mine isn’t vintage. I always feel bad ass (and warm) when I’m wearing it and I’ll feel even more so now that you’ve pointed out it’s a Mrs. Robinson coat! Those boots are pretty fine my friend. Don’t you hate it when the perfect shoe/boot is just a little to high for the feet to handle?
Debbie
http://www.fashionfairydust.com
My Mum wore leopard print and leather trousers until the day she died. I think you have to be over 40 to rock it properly, Animal print is wasted on the young.
You look utterly fabulous in all your outfits. xxx
“Animal print is wasted on the young.” I couldn’t have said it better myself!
But “print” is definitely the operative word. I remember a few years ago, during a solitary evening trawling ebay, I saw a 60s leopard coat up for auction, with a zipped extention which could transform it from a hip length jacket to a mid thigh coat. I must have had a gin and tonic too many, because (after verifying that it wasn’t printed, but genuine) I proffered the opening bid of £200, and was horrified next morning to discover no-one had bid against me and I’d won!!! Luckily for me the vendor then refused to sell it, saying there were laws against sending such furs abroad
So, you were lucky to have found this coat Suzanne – and once again, you’ve published a post which really stirs us up and gets us thinking. Marvellous!
Baci Sxx
sarsaparillasal.blogspot.com
J’adore ton style
Although clothes don’t come with an age tag, I do agree with Vix that animal print is wasted on the young! You have to have lived to really get it, wear it and own it. God you wear animal print so well Suzanne, it almost makes me cry!
‘Are women wearing animal prints deemed too confident, too sexy, too powerful?’ Well if they are, bring it on!
And didn’t Anne Bancroft just ooze sex appeal in that film. But did you know that the leg in the film’s poster wasn’t Ms Bancroft but Linda Grey of Dallas fame?!?
http://petitesilvervixen.blogspot.co.uk/
That coat is AMAZING!!! I’m never going to be able wear a coat like that, now that I live in Vegas. Darn stupid mild winters!!
Darlene
New things I learnt about the term Cougar thanks to you. I must watch The Graduate now. I consider leopard a neutral so I am a huge fan of the coat. I have a leopard trench coat but I am on the lookout for a leopard fur (faux fur) coat. I must say your leopard jumpsuit, leopard maxi dress and snakeskin sheath are all gorgeous, Suzanne.
Hello again, dear Suzanne! I was “off”, travelling, and when back I swear I needed recovery from holidays! I loved your pictures and I loved the jumpsuit, particularly! You are sooo beautiful and that shows it even more – though every outfit is great! I wear some hints of leopard prints sometimes, but not often. Not because I don’t like the print, because I do, it simply doesn’t happen often. And travelling I tend to be always very casual. I think cougar 🙂 or not, animal print is always nice. If it shows confidence, then why not, always great to be confident!
DenisesPlanet.com
Susan, I don’t know how I missed this post earlier. And I don’t think I can add anything more to the conversation that hasn’t already been said regarding animal prints and older women. I’ve actually got one like yours and it’s one of my favorite coats that makes me pray for a cold snap in Florida so I can wear it!
Love The Graduate, BTW. And you’ve done a supremely classy job of styling your animal prints. Ms Bancroft would be envious!