Leopard Is Still In, But Looks A Tad Different These Days

It wasn't too long ago that anything with a leopard print meant that it was stylish. From faux fur coats to silk button-downs to loafers, the feline pattern covered everything we bought during that time. But while yesteryear favored true-to-life prints in neutral shades and photo-realistic shapes, the new crop of spots is a little more Lisa Frank leopard than sub-Saharan big cat.

In cartoonish, bubbly designs, these spots are a whole different species than their naturalistic predecessors. Even when they do come in browns and tans, the shape of each whorl is more abstract and artful, and there's none of that subtle gradation that real leopard skin has. For some visual reference, click to see some following women who are in a league leap of their own.