How to Wear Fashion's Favorite Print (and No, It's Not Leopard)

If you’re simultaneously obsessed with the latest micro-trends and too intimidated to test them out, you’ve come to the right place. This is Ways to Wear, a monthly series where editor Eliza Huber offers a dose of outfit inspiration focused on current trends that feel intriguing yet overwhelming at the same time. Consider it your guide to actually wearing the coolest items of the moment, no matter how puzzling they might appear at first.

Not to sound dramatic, but a print trend that actually feels fresh and not recycled from a few seasons ago is, in fact, groundbreaking. I love animal prints and polka dots just as much as the next fashion person—probably more—but they’re not exactly new. Some patterns just stick around, only to show up in a buzzy runway collection and be called the next It print again. But finally, a genuinely unexpected design is gaining traction among fashion-minded shoppers, and I, for one, am prepared to welcome it with open arms.