The History of the Leopard Print: Dresses, Blouses, and Skirts

Trendy or timeless? Trashy or classy?

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know right away that leopard print is all the rage. Leopard-print dresses, leopard-print skirts, leopard-print pants, or leopard-print blouses. You name it—leopard print has become an indispensable part of the fashion scene and street style. Seriously, HOW did we ever manage to live without this phenomenon???

We never did! Because leopard print has always been around. Okay, maybe not physically in your closet, but it’s always been lurking in the background.

The leopard print—dear readers— is the predator among trends. This predator creeps up on you agonizingly slowly, assesses its prey—that’s you —figuratively speaking ;-))—for its “nutritional value,” lulls you into thinking you’re free and safe, and when you’re least on your guard, it shifts into high gear, grabs you with its claws, and never, ever lets you go. You’re hooked for life.

Sound familiar? We think so, too. But what exactly accounts for that magical allure that leopard print exerts on us? Is it that mildly dangerous vibe? That undeniable sex appeal? Or perhaps that intriguing, razor-thin line between classy and trashy —more on that later. We’ll take a stab at unraveling the magic.

IN THE BEGINNING…..

. . . there was no fashion. Just clothing, intended purely for protection and—occasionally—to add extra significance and meaning to primitive rituals. In ancient Egypt, for example, high priests wore a cloak made of leopard skin, and the heirs to the pharaohs were depicted wearing a flashy leopard coat. Symbolic power for the afterlife versus mental strength for the arduous earthly task.

A leopard skin was also a practical garment for hunting, for reasons you can probably guess (spoiler, camouflage and intimidation). The bitter truth is that the leopard has evolved from a threatening species to an endangered one. C’est la vie . . .

SYMBOLISM - C’EST CHIC

The leopard is a feline, and there’s a whole lot of symbolism attached to that. From bringer of good luck to harbinger of doom, and from witch’s pet to the ultimate symbol of glamour. Cats are, by nature, curious, intuitive, and—incredibly—arrogant. And for good reason. Because oh oh oh, cats are so beautiful. That grace, that suppleness, that lazy sensuality. Those hypnotic eyes, those elegantly curved little claws. We think the expression “super-chic” would be better off called “pussy-chic”! (Note to all readers with a lazy red house cat: deep down inside your Baby, too, lies a true diva. She’s just hiding it very well.)

But enough about cats in general—let’s get to the heart of the matter: the leopard. Or, to be more precise, the leopard print!

CLASSY OR TRASHY

—IF YOU KNOW, SPEAK UP—

Anyone who’s read our blog about the ugly sneakers knows that, in our opinion, this is definitely a matter of debate. The leopard print is a good example of this; we’ve already mentioned the intriguing, razor-thin line between classy and trashy. Because what’s the difference between the leopard print à la Nel Veerkamp (Old Dutch TV star) and that of Jacky Kennedy?

Is it the social circles that leopard-print aficionados move in, is it the art of styling, or does a leopard print simply look just a tad more chic on a slender upper-class woman than on a voluptuous middle-class woman? You won’t hear us claim either—the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle . . . (felines have nine lives, after all, so there are enough days to change up the look ;-))

ICONIC FASHION HISTORY

There’s plenty of (hilarious) footage out there, but the leopard print has clearly earned its place in serious (fashion) history. A fine example of an iconic lady who took her love of leopard print to the extreme is Marion Nixon, a Hollywood actress who kept a leopard as a pet in the 1920s. And who went shopping with it as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world. It perfectly illustrates the fascination with leopard print during the—how literally—roaring twenties.

In the 1940s, it was Christian Dior who launched the New Look—a collection featuring an exorbitantly generous use of fabric that poked fun at the scarcity of the war years. That controversy was further underscored by the use of leopard print, about which the master himself said, “If you are sweet and fair, don’t wear it.” He had a soft spot for strong women :-).

We also encounter leopard print again in “The Swinging Sixties.” Christian Dior repeated the mischief in 1960, Edie Sedgwick—the world’s first influencer in the pre-digital era —wore leopard print with a bold wink, and Barbra Streisand sang her sultry love song in a matching suit.

In the ’80s and ’90s, it took on a raw edge. Leopard print became rock ’n’ roll (Blondie’s Debbie Harry), took on an explicitly sexual tone (erotic “bodywear”), and inspired designer Azzedine Alaïa to create an entire leopard-print collection.

More than enough historical imagery to illustrate the leopard print’s enduring appeal. But what about today? Isn’t the leopard print too overused to still be relevant? No! The fashion world is creative enough to shed new light on even a “good old classic” like the leopard print. Think surprising colour palettes, exciting print combinations, the “crazy” approach versus the neo-classical, a fresh take on accessories, and—yes, really!—the leopard hairstyle.

If you weren’t convinced about this wonderful print yet, you surely are now. Search for and find the leopard within yourself . . . and go wild!

As you can tell, here at PLEIN PUBLIQUE, we’re definitely fans of this “timeless classic that never goes out of style” leopard print—are you too? Then check out this link. We’ve collected our leopard print items for you over there.

See you next time!

Love, Nicole