What do you predict will be the defining trend of AW24? Wax jackets? Puffball skirts? Burgundy everything? Well, let us throw our suggestion into contention: leopard print jeans. Searches for the statement style are up 3,700% on outfit-sharing platform LTK, and if you’ve visited your local high street recently, you’ll know pretty much every store has its own iteration.
One of the best versions we’ve spotted comes courtesy of M&S. When the high-street giant released its £45 animal print wide leg jeans earlier this year, they sold out in a matter of days and racked up a 12,000-strong waitlist.
It’s easy to see why they’re so popular. The wide-leg cut is way more on trend than skinnier styles, while the pure cotton composition means there’s none of that awful stiffness you get with some denim. They’re the perfect ankle-grazing length, and sag stylishly around the bottom to really lean into the oversized trend. There also have, wait for it, five pockets. Talk about practical fashion.
Styling-wise, we’ll be pairing ours with a crisp white shirt, like influencer Amy Ward, for the office (layered with a white knit – this is the UK, after all). But they’re also a trendy, and most importantly warm, way to nail festive event dressing. Worn with a black peplum top or waistcoat, and finished with black heels and a statement bag, leopard jeans will hold their own against any sparkly Christmas party dress. And you won’t be shivering when everyone migrates to the smokers’ area. Result!
The good news is M&S have just done a huge restock of the sell-out product. The animal print wide leg jeans are available in sizes 6 to 20 in short, regular and long lengths – but they do come up a bit small, so we’d recommend sizing up. Now excuse us: we’re off to M&S to try and nab a pair.
