I Don't Make the Rules—Here Are All the Classic Trends to Pair With the Leopard-Print This Winter

No pattern has lived quite as many lives as leopard print. Depending on who you ask, the classic animal print will draw associations with anyone from Kate Moss to Joan Collins, Janice from Friends to Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. Through the decades, leopard print has been used to create looks of all aesthetics, from ’70s rock’n’roll to ’80s glamazon—and I will personally forever associate the print with Audrey Hepburn’s incredibly chic hat that she paired with a crimson coat in Alfred Hitchock’s Charade.

This season, the print is back with a vengeance, and from my people watching and Instagram stalking, I’m convinced it’s the ’90s leopard print aesthetic that fashion insiders are taking their inspiration from. The effortless minimalism of the era was made up of tailored trousers and crisp shirts, blue jeans and white t-shirts, but this one print got the minimalist seal of approval, with the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston and more adding leopard print accessories or outerwear to their stripped back looks.

The renewed popularity of leopard print means there are plenty of ways to integrate it into your wardrobe this season and well into 2025—from ballet flats to faux fur coats, evening dresses to figure-hugging trousers, there’s a plethora of styles to explore from both high street and designer brands. Perhaps because minimalist looks and classic styles are particularly popular at the moment, this nostalgic print also happens to work perfectly with a number of other classic trends that never go out of style. In other words, why you may think of it as a maximalist print, you’ll be surprised to discover just how versatile it really is.