Whether you consider it a neutral or not, you can’t deny this trend is definitely back. Below, a closer look at how everyone is wearing leopard print outfits.
Kate Moss in a leopard print jacket. Photo: Getty
Every generation imagines it has reinvented the wheel when it comes to fashion trends – rebelling against the styles and silhouettes of their forebears and striking out on their own. The TikTok generation, however, seems to be experiencing this cycle on speed, with every month bringing a new aesthetic to the fore. Take “Clean Girl”, an “I just woke up like this, but actually spent two hours doing my makeup” vibe, which has since transmogrified into “Mob Wife”, a grittily glamorous figure, all dark sunglasses, faux fur coats, and leopard print outfits.
But, as Vogue’s fashion writer Daniel Rodgers points out, the Mob Wife look has been circulating in the fashion sphere for decades, with “femme fatale leopard print” the most consistently crowd-pleasing element. Long before Gen-Zers were taking to TikTok to give their best Carmela Soprano, Naomi Campbell was wearing the pattern head-to-toe in Alaïa’s autumn/winter 1991 show; rock goddess Debbie Harry was striking a pose in a leopard-print jumpsuit; and Kate Moss was dodging paparazzi in drainpipe jeans and a leopard coat. We can’t forget Joan Collins, who has made the maximalist print her wardrobe MVP. While its cultural associations may have fluctuated over time – from silver screen starlet to “tacky” to It-girl and back again – it has remained a constant in fashion’s collective consciousness.
Kate Moss with a leopard print bag. Photo: Getty
“Leopard print has been worn by icons like Kate Moss, Anita Pallenberg, Blondie, and one of my all-time favorites, Kurt Cobain,” says Amy Bannerman, eBay’s preloved style director. “While some think of leopard as a bold print, I see it more as a neutral staple. A simple outfit with the perfect leopard coat will…
