Don't shoot me, but I am crazy for safari dressing. Not because I admire big-game hunters--far from it. I'm an animal lover! It's the fantasy of an exotic journey among wild creatures combined with the chic utilitarian details (pockets, D-ring buckles, dirt-defying colors) that captivates me.
I first tried wearing the look in the early '80s when the founders of the Banana Republic catalog revealed their special brand of adventure fantasy with affordable, functional clothes--and some very savvy copywriting. Their stores, at the time, had props such as crashed jeeps among the stacks of khakis and a soundtrack that included squealing monkeys. It got a little campy--but, hey, in retrospect, shopping as theater was a visionary concept!
I was already familiar with the sensational French Vogue photograph of early supermodel Veruschka in 1968, wearing a sexy lace-up safari shirt by Yves Saint Laurent with a rifle slung, like an accessory, across her shoulders. And I was vaguely aware of having seen glamorous actresses such as Katharine Hepburn, Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly and Lauren Bacall sporting the look in old movies such as Mogambo and The African Queen. But when Out of Africa, starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford, was released in 1985, the fashion world went mad for khaki and so did I.
I realized that I could not only wear a safari jacket on the weekend with jeans and loafers but also to work with a black pencil skirt and pumps.
I discovered that a cotton camp shirt is the perfect partner to a wide-leg trouser on a hot summer day. Then, I noticed that a touch of leopard print adds instant chic to almost anything. Thirty years later, these lessons still hold true.
If you haven't watched that Academy Award winning film since you first saw it, I highly recommend it. I just did. The chemistry between those two fine actors is off the charts! Just like certain uniforms, their romance stands the test of time.
We've hunted down some of the best of the new safari-inspired looks for you, many of them at excellent price points. Shop the look at Apprécier.
An update on the original InStyle.com post www.instyle.com