"When you think about leopard print, your mind might drift straight to visions of J.Crew’s calf hair smoking loafers or an inescapable cheetah print midi skirt that took over the internet. And that’s fair—leopard print has had many deaths and resurgences, most recently through a chokehold in the 2010s. After years of leopard print being a mainstay in the wardrobes of every 20 and 30-something woman, for many, it got put on the back burner in exchange for the neutrals that minimalism encouraged. But trends never really die, do they? Instead, they hibernate for a while and wait for the day that the fashion cycles beckon for them once again—and leopard print’s day has come.
With the rise of the mob wife aesthetic and the covetable (and completely sold out) Wales Bonner x Adidas Sambas, the return of leopard print has been a slow trickle that has officially turned into a revival. Odds are, you fall into one of two camps: someone who never stopped wearing leopard print, or someone who has an aversion to it after years of six seasons of Jersey Shore. But leopard print has never gone away—not completely, anyway. It’s treated like a neutral by many and cycled into fashion consistently, and each time it has a rebirth, new, modern ways to style it are born, too.
2024 is shaping up to have no shortage of leopard print, and the endless styling options it brings are enticing, to say the least. Celebrities have been incorporating the print into their wardrobes as of late—Emily Ratajkowski even rang in 2024 in a leopard ensemble—and the print is trending on TikTok, convincing many Gen-Zers to reach for the trend for the very first time.
The appeal of leopard print is how customizable it is to different styles. Whether you’re a maximalist who opts for a fur coat in the print or a minimalist whose take on styling it only goes as far as a subtle leather belt, it’s a trend that can be for everyone. I’ve personally been swooning over Ganni’s new leopard-filled spring collection, which includes denim jeans, bags, and *trigger warning*, even maxi skirts.
If you’re looking for outfit inspiration before dipping your toe back into leopard print—or diving in, depending on who you are—there’s no shortage of ideas flitting around the internet. A flowy, white blouse paired with leopard bottoms is sizing up to be a styling favorite, as is incorporating leopard knitwear into a jeans-and-tee base. If leopard print is a wardrobe mainstay for you, it’s your lucky day; if you’re kicking yourself for donating the leopard print pieces your closet used to house, fret not. These 30 pieces help you welcome the print back into your life in 2024.
