Trends come and go (and come and go), but there are some things that never go out of style. They may be more popular one season than another but, on the whole, they are forever pieces that form the cornerstones of our wardrobes.

And this season, amid all the ideas that will have their five minutes of fame, we saw the return of the leopard-print coat. It’s a piece your mother and grandmother probably wore before you, and yet it still feels relevant. If you buy one now, I bet you’ll be wearing it for years to come (and maybe your child will nick it from you, too).

At Calvin Klein 2O5W39NYC, the coat was oversized and masculine, worn with a balaclava (see above for those trends that come and go).
 

At Victoria Beckham it cast a leaner silhouette, belted at the waist in the classic, feminine way we have come to expect. At the more budget-friendly end of the spectrum, I’ve seen brilliant versions at Topshop and H&M, due to drop in September. From long to short, printed to textured, there is something for everyone this season – and I say your wardrobe needs one, ASAP.
 

What else would amp up denim in quite the same way? Or add a touch of sass to classic black suiting, or bring instant glamour to slinky eveningwear? Imagine a pair of white, wide-leg tux trousers (yes, I’m looking at you, Bianca Jagger circa 197O), finished with a hip-length, belted leopard-print coat. See, you need one, don’t you?

Net-A-Porter has even doubled its buy of leopard-print pieces since last season, following on from the success of that Ganni dress – an instant sell-out. And as I said, buy today, wear forever. It’s a perennial trend that’s been coming round on repeat since the Twenties.

For #inspo, throw it back to the Thirties, when leopard coats first became popular among silver-screen sirens. Just imagine recreating Bette Davis’s vampish look with red lippy, blonde Marcel finger waves and a leopard-print coat – yours will be faux-print rather than the real thing. Or why not go one step further and invest in a sustainable brand such as Nanushka, which has a strappy top that is screaming to be worn with white Nineties ‘mom’ jeans?

The leopard wasn’t the only big cat on the runway this season: there were tigers and cheetahs and zebras, too. It’s a jungle out there. Tom Ford turned classic leopard print red and green via sequinned suits, worn with XL hoops and crystal-encrusted slingbacks for an Eighties feel. At Balenciaga and Givenchy, zebra print (my personal favourite) was the pattern du jour, with plunging, figure-hugging dresses that would live a long and lustrous life in any wardrobe. And with Balenciaga, a brand looking to address humanitarian issues, making considerable donations to the World Food Programme, you can also shop with a conscience. I’m sure there’s a saying about big cats, magic and wardrobes. It must be that they all co-exist excellently, no?

From: ELLE UK.