In fashion, trends are often seen as volatile and short-lived; quickly seeping from the runway to the high street, then saturating the market and eventually fading away to be reborn years later (Mackinney-Valentin, 2017). Leopard print, an umbrella term for the markings of all spotted big cats, bucks this trend; it continues to be found on both runways and in high street shops and is consistently reincarnated, a constant presence across generations.
The ubiquity of leopard accessories suggests that the print is considered a safe and easy way to inject personality into a look. However, it is not without its contested associations. Despite its femininity, this print is often associated with stereotypically gendered assumptions about age and sexuality. For example, it has been used by drag queens to simultaneously deconstruct and reinforce heteronormative gender ideals through the use of a particular style of stylised hair, make up, clothing and body language.
Leopard print has also been a key component of working class youth subcultures. Mods wore it to project a sense of rebellious respectability against the material conditions of their lives, while for other working class youth cultures such as the Spice Girls leopard print represented a rejection of mainstream societal values.
The resurgence of leopard print in’mainstream’ fashion culture in the 1990s coincided with the rise of Girl Power and a re-evaluation of women’s independence and self-confidence. It became a staple in the wardrobes of UK soap stars including Bet Lynch of Coronation Street and Kat Slater of Eastenders, US TV star Janice from Friends and Gwyneth Paltrow as she adopted a pared back aesthetic.
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