Trending: Leopard print

The wham-bam sucker punch of leopard print engenders a lot of loaded cliches, namely yummy mummies in animalistic pointed-toe stilettos and brassy barmaids with Manchester accents and hearts of spun gold.

But it doesn’t take much to make leopard print fresh; just eschew the usual shapes and embrace unusual contrasts. Try trainers instead of a heel: like the leopard, it pays to be quick on your feet.

The external pattern on Charlotte Olympia's transparent box clutch (above) is highlighted by an internal gold pocket, resulting in a deconstructed leopard print.

It's better to wear leopard on the bottom than the top half of the body to avoid the (admittedly very fun) barmaid look. Topshop's pelmet skirt (above, as worn by Cara Delevingne) is a 1960s classic, while this ruched Étoile Isabel Marant number (below) has a muted, sophisticated appeal.