Forget Quiet Luxury creams and beiges, Jennie Kim is now classifying leopard print as a neutral. Like any neutral, that means you can dress it up for a gala or dress it down to grab a slice.
During a recent trip to Japan, the Blackpink star put a casusl twist on the animal print trend with a pair of low slung baggy jeans. The singer paired her statement pants with a handful of standard wardrobe basics: a fitted black zip-up, flat-sole shoes, and a leather messenger bag. Jennie’s decision to offset the pizzaz of her leopard with monochrome everywhere else was just the latest inkling that the 2000s-inspired print is on the comeback.
Jennie is far from the only star making the case for animal print as a neutral. Back during Paris Fashion Week in September, Kate Moss abided by the exact same formula that Jennie just did. The supermodel, dressed in jet black skinny jeans and knee-high boots, carried a leopard print hobo bag from Saint Laurent while out with her daughter Lila. And during that same Parisian trip, Kate taught everyone how to dress up animal print. She wore a leopard coat (also by Saint Laurent) with another, albeit more formal, all-black outfit.
On the opposite side of the leopard spectrum is the “loud” versions worn by the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Rihanna. The latter star was just spotted out in Los Angeles a few days ago rocking head-to-toe animal print that could have classified as pajamas. Rihanna’s also dabbled in cowhide and mix and matched zebra print during another L.A. night out.
Between Rihanna, Kate, and Jennie, there’s a clear pattern as to how stars are approaching the leopard print trend. Some, like Rihanna, are doing so by pairing it with bold accessories. Or they’re even matching, say, leopard print with cheetah print for double the effect. Then there’s those using animal motifs more as a neutral—look no further than Kate’s outing in Paris or Jennie’s latest off-duty moment.