Octavia Spencer Makes the Case for Leopard-Print Everything

I've always loved leopard print, but for the longest time I stayed away from wearing it. I'm from a conservative, religious family from the South, and for some reason, leopard print was considered trashy and got a bad rap.

Then, about 15 years ago, I thought, "Why not give it a try?" The Good Lord made leopard print, after all. Now I'm like a lioness leading the hunt, always sneaking in some spots on the red carpet. It's like a nude to me. I wear leopard with white; I wear it with black; I wear it with green; I wear it with pink ... I'm like the Dr. Seuss of animal prints.

Seriously, my poor stylists! I have lots of bags and scarves, but the one thing I can't ever pass up is a beautiful shoe. Each pair—be it from Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo, Brian Atwood, or J.Crew—adds a little bit of spice to my look.

Women should do whatever we need to do to feel sexy and empowered on a daily basis. And when I put leopard print on, it's like hearing the "Rocky" theme song.

—As told to Jennifer Ferrise.

Spencer stars in A Kid Like Jake, in theaters now. For more stories like this, pick up the July issue of InStyle, available on newsstands and for digital download now.