Move Over, Leopard: A New Animal Print Has Caught Our Eye This Season

Blame Realisation Par’s cult Naomi slip skirt with its graphic leopard print – and the countless high street imitations it has spawned – if you will: there’s no denying that animal print has emerged as this summer’s most ubiquitous trend. But if leopard is now officially classed as a neutral (in fashion circles, at least), how can you still make a statement? The answer, it seems, is to swap our go-to spots for a different zoologically inspired pattern: an exaggerated zebra print in beige and white.

The first high street brand to pledge its allegiance to zebra print was Topshop, whose pleated zebra midi made waves on Instagram last month, emerging as a versatile transeasonal piece that will work just as well when paired with a cami top to combat the heat wave as it will with knitwear and ankle boots when the temperatures finally decide to drop. The store has since followed up this summer success with another piece that’s sure to sell out, re-working their popular polka dot dress (with its deep V front, mixed print and cut-away sides, you’ve almost certainly already spotted it in your feed) in zebra. Priced at £55 (and, crucially, still available in a range of sizes), it's an affordable way to tap into the trend.

After languishing unloved for several seasons, what's behind zebra's new-found appeal? Perhaps it's down to zebra's status as a stealth animal print. Its lines are bold, but from a distance, they could just be plain old stripes, making zebra a good gateway pattern for those a little wary of the trend. Then, if you've acclimatised and are craving something a little wilder, Realisation Par have (another) print for you: tiger...

Zebra print pieces to shop now