These Animal Print Coats Defy Fleeting Fashion Trends

Take a walk on the wild side.

Fall 2024 runway images featuring women wearing leopard print coats on the runways of Alaia, Michael Kors, and Marni; street style images of women wearing leopard print coats
(Image credit: Future)

If you've followed along, you'll know animal prints have shed their former reputation as a risqué trend, instead emerging as a versatile neutral that pairs back to virtually anything in your closet. Look back at the Fall 2024 fashion week circuit, and you’ll discover a varied mix of wildlife-inspired outerwear. Alaïa showcased a faux fur coat covered in fuzzy leopard print fabric, and Marni embraced the pattern in untamed hats and through textured, billowing puffer jacket silhouettes. Michael Kors took a ladylike approach with his collection, designing a tailored animal print coat styled in typical Jackie O. fashion alongside a charming designer handbag and dainty kitten heels.

This trend—if you can even call it that—isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Even celebrities have co-signed animal print outerwear as fall winds down and winter calls for coats, incorporating the print into their coveted cold-weather capsule wardrobes. Hailey Bieber recently leaned into the look with Toteme’s Pony Hair Leopard-Print Coat, styled with a laid-back T-shirt, dark-wash baggy jeans, and her beloved cherry red Adidas Sambas sneakers. Jennifer Lopez also championed the mob wife-adjacent style in a feline-inspired jacket adorned with leather trim and embellished buttons while slipping into a signature J.Lo pair of matching knee-high boots.

While initially bold, an animal print coat quickly proves as versatile and reliable as your go-to black or beige staples. Better yet, you don’t need to break the bank to experiment with the style—ahead are some of the best affordable options for every budget.

The Tailored Coat

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woman wearing animal print jacket, t-shirt, matching skirt, and knee-high boots

If temperatures aren't too chilly, pair your animal print jacket with a mini skirt and knee-high boots for extra coverage.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

A smartly tailored silhouette will be your wardrobe MVP for the colder months ahead. Button details, strategically placed pockets, and broad lapels infuse character into an otherwise restrained silhouette.

The Trench Coat

woman wearing leopard print trench coat, turtleneck, pants, and heels

You can easily count on a sharp trench coat to instantly pull together any look.

(Image credit: Alamy)

Don't wait for a rainy day. Parade a leopard-spotted or zebra-print trench coat to the office on crisp winter weekdays and out to dinner, thrown over your favorite little black dress.

The Faux Fur Coat

woman wearing animal print faux fur coat, white button-down shirt, jeans, and heels

Embrace your inner mob wife with a faux fur coat that practically sweeps the floor.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

With most designers opting for more ethically sourced synthetic fur materials, there's no shortage of options for faux fur coats. Choose a midi silhouette that hits at the calf or a posh shrunken version that crops at the waist.

The Puffer Coat

woman wearing leopard print puffer coat

Go full on maximalist by styling a billowing puffer jacket with matching bottoms.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Here's a wild idea: swap your basic puffers for a statement-making animal print that will make winter a little less drab. You'll stand out from the herd on mountain slopes and city streets.

Sara Holzman
Style Director

Sara Holzman is the Style Director for Marie Claire, where she's worked alongside the publication for eight years in various roles, ensuring the brand's fashion content continues to inform, inspire, and shape the conversation about fashion's ever-evolving landscape. With a degree from the Missouri School of Journalism, Sara is responsible for overseeing a diverse fashion content mix, from emerging and legacy designer profiles to reported features on the influence of social media on style and seasonal and micro trends across the world's fashion epicenters in New York, Milan, and Paris. Before joining Marie Claire, Sara held fashion roles at Conde Nast's Lucky Magazine and Self Magazine and was a style and travel contributor to Equinox's Furthermore website. Over her decade of experience in the fashion industry, Sara has helped guide each brand's style point of view, working alongside veteran photographers and stylists to bring editorial and celebrity photo shoots to fruition from start to finish. Sara currently lives in New York City. When she's not penning about fashion or travel, she’s at the farmer’s market, on a run, working to perfect her roasted chicken recipe, or spending time with her husband, dog, and cat. Follow her along at @sarajonewyork