The leopard print first appeared in the tendencies of the 20s and 30s. Soon, in the 2000s, other prints started to appear but none of them could beat the success of the “feline”. However that changed this year: the prints of cow, snake, fur and zebra started taking over the runways and the social media.
The 2025 street style is getting bolder, starting with small accessories like purses, shoes, glasses, and then escalating to big fluffy coats or entire street wear outfits with prints. In this article, we’re seeing how the brands are embracing this trend and how you can use them in your daily life.
The success of the prints
That triumph in the 20s and 30s was not by accident; the prints were a symbol of status, worn only by women of high society – women who could buy real pieces of skin.
In the 50s that promising fashion started to become more popular, with the Hollywood stars, even Marilyn Monroe wore the leopard prints; of course, these were not real. It was the designer Christian Dior who revolutionized this part of history; he, with other designers, was responsible for creating a material that could reproduce the marking of leopard skin.
By the 70s, the prints were already embraced by various communities, including the hippie and punk ones. This rise brought the prints to the fashion shows, as a symbol of sensuality and revolution; and from time to time, they come back stronger than ever.
The haute couture fashion shows
As always, the runways of haute couture brands are exaggerated. With whole outfits covered in prints. The models walked with confidence, the prints were always a statement of a mature woman, keeping a sexy but elegant style. Now, on the runways, they have brought it to a younger and modern side, encouraging more and more brands to pursue the new trend.
Zimmerman used snake prints on purses and on the most beautiful translucent and light pieces of the runway, alongside with cow-print coats covered in fur. They created graceful and mature looks, giving many options on how to wear the same or similar pieces of the runway. Truly something that can match almost all tastes, bringing a younger and also an older side on how to adapt pieces with prints.
But if you prefer something more… discreet. Far from the animals, polka dots are also back! With neutral colors and less accessories; but still modern, keeping little of the softness present in 40s outfits. The presence of zippers and several layers of cloth keeps the look with a fresh but sophisticated aspect. This is what we saw on the Rokh runway.
Between all of the other brands, Duran Lantink was one of – if not THE – most different. With audacious outfits, the brand decided to bring a little bit of everything. The polka dots were replaced by the tartan patterns, with lots of shapes in the way the clothes fit on the body. But they did not abandon the leopard print. Instead, they matched it with all the other ones.
How to apply them on daily outfits
Skipping to the cool and affordable part. How can you use these new prints in your daily life? Of course, you need to be comfortable, but fashion and style are always welcome if you like to customize yourself. The leopard was already hard work, so how are we supposed to deal with the trend of cows, zebras and snakes? Here’s a few ideas!
cow prints
If you like hanging out with your friends, the cow prints are a strong option. The colors are neutral, always with the white being the base color, matching with shapes in black or brown; that way, you can build the remnant look with more colors, or keep the pattern of neutral colors.
zebra prints
The zebra print is a lot easier to style, the various lines printed in black and white can be worn in dresses or matched with skirts and blazers. Let that print stand out in your outfit. But if you think it’s giving the impression of being too plain, you can always put a bit of color in a shoe, or in a purse. The zebra print is a good shot if you want to appear more serious.
snake prints
That one is for the fearless and confident girls! Unlike the other prints, the snake print is made to be the apex of the fit: use it with plain colors, and lighter tones, but exaggerate in the accessories! Large earrings, many necklaces and bracelets, belts and all the other things you can put into it. The snake print is meant to make you be the spotlight.
——————————————————————————–
The article above was edited by Helena Maluf.
Liked this type of content? Check Her Campus Cásper Libero home page for more!