Do you think Kurt's animal brooches are related? (Hippo, zebra, etc.) I feel like he wears them when he's trying to boost his confidence (attending Dalton for the first time, looking for sheet music for his NYADA callback...) So maybe the animal print is also about trying to be tougher or more confident. Sugar seems to thrive off of applause (even if she has to pay for it, she said once) so maybe she's insecure. And Kurt was feeling very unsure in that scene in 3x05. He asked if he was sexually boring.