It’s Time To Make Leopard Print A Wardrobe Neutral

Leopard print is back – or did it ever leave?

2000s nostalgia is rampant at the moment, and our fashion choices are reflecting it.

This winter has seen a resurgence of the faux fur coat, from Dua Lipa to Sophie Murray, and the natural next step seems to be in the direction of leopard print.

When you Google ‘leopard print’, one of the first things to pop up is the question ‘Is it tacky, or classy?’

In 2024, the general consensus is that the animal print is classy again. Leopard print fur coats, jeans, shoes, belts and bags have taken over fashion TikTok, and it does not seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.

‘New year, new micro trend’, we hear you say, but some users are arguing the opposite, and we’re inclined to agree.

Often trends that blow up on TikTok become over saturated, and we can get sick of them pretty fast. While it could be said that leopard print will be to 2024 what ‘a pop of red’ and hair bows were to 2023, some creators are arguing that the animal print should be considered as essential to your wardrobe as black and white.

‘Leopard print is a neutral’ has become a movement, an attempt to convince the fashion trend gods that the pattern should be treated with the respect it deserves; as a timeless element to our wardrobes, not a passing fad.

@lealeababs Leopard Print Dressing, Day 1 of 7! You loved last weeks dopamine dressing with leopard print, so heres an entire week for you! #leopardprint #cheetahprint #fyp #fashiontiktok #viral ♬ yes, and? – Ariana Grande

Countless videos have been posted in recent weeks in an effort to combat the mistreatment of leopard print. @lealeababs on TikTok has even created a series showing how versatile the pattern can be by wearing a different leopard print outfit combination for each day of the week.

Here at Stellar, we’re pretty excited about this trend revival, so we came up with a few tips on how you can take part in the ‘leopard print is a neutral’ movement.

The idea is to choose items that you will wear regularly. Picture your regular denim jeans, your white shirts, and black handbags, and swap them with a leopard print alternative.

Ganni has been a forerunner brand in the leopard print revival. Their leopard print jeans have been sold out for a few weeks now, not to mention their bomber jacket, a collaboration with Barbour that went viral a few months back.

Barbour x Ganni

Damson Madder also have quality leopard print trousers, and though they sell out fast, they are restocked often.

Their leopard print blouse provides a way to inject some fun into your business-casual fits.

Damson Madder

If you’re not 100% into the more obvious displays of the trend, why not dip your toe in with an accessory, like a headband, tights, or this cute cross body bag from Lucy and Yak, or these Adidas x Wales Bonner Sambas.

Another thing that supports the ‘leopard print is a neutral’ argument is that the pattern pairs beautifully with statement colours. Think cobalt blue, hot pink, or lemon yellow.

We love the idea of combining red with the pattern, be that a red cardi and leopard print jeans, or a ruby handbag with a faux fur coat, like this outfit from TikTok user @ciarabranigan:

@ciarabranigan new coat obsession🐆 #furjacket #leopardprint #leopardprintcoat #furcoat #redhandbag #winteroutfitinspo #motelrocksoutfit ♬ One Of Us – ABBA

There is no doubt that leopard print is back. It’s been on everyone’s Ins and Outs lists this new year, and we hope it stays In for the foreseeable future

Words by Sorcha Lynch 

• leopard print
• style