10 Rules for Wearing Animal Prints in 2025

If you’re ever unsure of how to style a new item, especially something that feels bold or attention-grabbing like a tiger stripe skirt, just keep things simple and stick to neutral-hued basics. Pair your animal print with a coordinating neutral, like black, beige, brown, white or gray, and allow that wild piece to truly hog the spotlight. It’s essentially a no-fail way to guarantee looking chic and put together with minimal effort.

If you’re opting for an animal print trench coat, I feel it’s a pretty safe bet to assume it’s because you’d rather stand out from the usual sea of beige, black and khaki green jackets. So why distract from your star piece with super bright colors or more patterns? Give your spotted coat room to shine by keeping the rest of your look fairly simple. And if you’re really dying to add in another bold pop, keep it small by way of a mini handbag or statement earring.

There’s just something about wild animal prints that feels inherently glamourous. But if that’s not the vibe you’re going for, there’s a super simple way to tone it down—just pair your leopard spots or zebra stripes with other items that are undeniably casual. I’m talking cargo pants, distressed denim, plain white tees or sporty sneakers. It plays on the idea that opposites attract, and balances your outfit to bring it to a happy middle ground somewhere between flashy and plain.

Expanding more on the above piece of advice about mixing glam spots with utilitarian pieces, denim of all varieties is an ideal match for any and all animal prints. Denim is essentially a neutral, after all, so provides a fabulous balance to even your wildest styles. A chambray shirt makes black-and-white zebra stripes feel far more casual than a black top would, making them easier to wear for everyday.

Don’t be afraid to mix animal prints with other patterns, like plaids, stripes or florals. Leopard spots in particularly have been thought of a neutral for ages, so don’t stress too much about trying to find a common thread between your leopard pieces and other patterns. Pro tip: Pairing shorter hems with spotted shoes creates a natural separation between the two prints and is less overwhelming to the eye.

Even with a maxi-length skirt, coordinating green top and sunglasses and cozy gray blazer, the focal point of this outfit is definitely the leopard print sneakers. You don’t need to go big with this trend if you don’t want to. Even the tiniest splashes, like a striped sock, spotted headband or animal print scrunchie will get the job done, and are easier to mix into outfits you already wear and love.

Super-bright hues and animal prints can read a little too ‘80s if not done well. So if you want to mix your new wild skirt with a bold hue I suggest choosing pieces with an inherently luxurious vibe. For example, tailored trousers, a crewneck sweater, a structured handbag or a simple turtleneck tee all already feel pretty elevated and are therefore less likely to read like an old-school jazzercise tape. Be sure to keep the rest of you look similarly posh, too.

Especially in more conservative work environments, leopard spots might be considered too showy or, conversely, too casual. So rather than rock an animal print blazer, try a smaller piece. Leopard spotted pumps, a tiger stripe tote bag or a snakeskin belt all feel trendy and fun without going too overboard.

Black-and-white stripes go with just about everything, so why shouldn’t black-and-white spots? Go forth and mix that cow print in with a striped dress or even a black-and-white floral. You can always use solid black items to draw the look together, like the black jacket and bag do above.

This may be presented as a list of “rules,” but the truth is that there are not hard and fast rules in fashion. The inherent fun of getting dressed lies in finding those outfit combinations that feel most you, whether they make sense to anyone else or not. So don’t be afraid to go big (or small or bright or dark or kooky or retro) and try something you’re not 100 percent certain actually works. Who knows, you might just end up finding a new outfit formula you absolutely adore.