That Leopard Print Trend You Thought Was Done Is Actually Just Mutating

God help you if you didn’t notice masses of leopard print midi skirts swallowing up your Instagram feed. It was the trend of the year that came out of nowhere and dominated fast fashion. The culprit being that original silky midi skirt with leopard print by Réalisation Par (who have been responsible for quite a few trends since their first wrap dresses) and then spread out until just about every contemporary label had their own take on the leopard mini skirt.

The streets suddenly became awash with the print and one outfit become overly prevalent: the printed tee, leopard skirt and sneaker combo. In the office, at least, I couldn’t turn left without seeing it.

Now with new year’s resolutions becoming somewhat faux-pas this year (according to my Instagram feed) no one is trying anything new, and so this jungle inspired print isn’t going anywhere. Quite the opposite in fact; it’s actually just taking on its next form. Yes, the leopard print skirt is evolving into a whole new trend.

How, exactly? For starters, you’re about to see the print grow to head to toe extravaganza. Think flowing maxi dresses and coordinated separates. For the summer months, you’re going to be dodging half naked wild animals on the beach – python bandeaus, leopard one pieces, and zebra brazillians to name a few.

When the summer ends, you’re going to see a plethora of faux fur leopard jackets, but, God willing, the animal print won’t devolve to fur-lined boots. You may be tempted to dabble in python print cowboy boots, but to keep the look modern, a tiny little white frilly dress – something by the likes of Sir the Label – is your go-to pairing. Bonus points for a waxed over-sized jacket layered on top.

Fortunately, if you can’t bear the thought of more animal print, there are these promising alternatives to this beast of a trend.

Minimalistic Monochrome: start the year fresh and cleanse your wardrobe’s palette with head to toe white. Consider it a style detox.

Disco Metallics: if you’re not quite done partying yet (you wild thing) inject life into your 2019 with shimmering metallics and patent shines.

Orange: no, I’m not kidding. There’s been a solid (though for most part unacknowledged) uplift in bright tangerine, borderline hi-vis orange.