From runway to resale, the bovine boom may have bucked the mass market – but cow print's styling potential is far from pasture. Below, we break down five ways we want to incorporate the Wild Wild West in our wardrobes right now. Spoiler: it's with prairie panache
There was a time, not long ago, when the fashion herd moved almost exclusively in black-and-white spots. A glorious moment somewhere between Cowboy Carter and Bella Hadid’s rodeo era, when cow print became the it-girl's it-print. A bovine badge of irreverent cool. We saw boots in every colourway, phone cases that looked like Holstein selfies, and an influencer or two who made the pattern their entire personality. But trends graze on, and the bovine boom has since moseyed off most runways.
Good news: cow print still thrives in the wild (also known as your wardrobe) when you style it with intention (and the occasional barn-yard quip). Below, you’ll find a deep-dive guide packed with runway receipts and five editor-approved outfit formulas – all to prove that these spots aren’t about to fade into fashion’s pasture.
Is cow print still in style in 2025?
Blame it on Bella Hadid’s sidewalk rodeo or Cowboy Carter’s chart-topping 'yee-haw', but the past few seasons have steered a full stampede of Western references into our wardrobes. Steel-toed cowboy boots clicked across street-style pavement, fringe shimmied down the runways, and belts suddenly developed big-buckle bravado. Festival fields and Instagram feeds alike became a revelry of rodeo-ready looks, just ask the Coachella crowd.
Yet the question remains: have we traded the lasso for leopard, the spur for zebra? Hardly. While leopard prowls and zebra prances, cow print still owns a coveted spot at fashion’s watering hole. You won’t see a whole herd trotting down every catwalk, but recent collections prove the print now grazes in more refined pastures: Dior paired a cropped pony-hair jacket with a prim white prairie dress; COS sent a faux-fur coat galloping through its AW24 show in New York; and Gestuz gave the motif rock-’n’-rodeo attitude via an hourglass horse-hair jacket and matching clutch.
So, is cow print still in style in 2025? Absolutely, but it’s evolved. The motif has traded kitsch for craft, novelty for nuance. Ahead, five editor-approved ways to wear cow print now (and keep it circling your closet long after the rodeo’s left town).
How to wear cow print in 2025
So, you’ve decided cow print still deserves a spot in your sartorial stable. Now what? Below are five fresh formulas that prove the motif can be everything from city-slick to rock-’n’-rodeo maximalist. Skim for the vibe that suits you (accessory-only dabblers, vintage-leaning purists, or die-hard boot fans) and copy-paste the styling notes straight into tomorrow’s outfit. Saddle up: these looks will have you moo-ving through 2025 with ample levels of prairie Panache!
Photo: Getty
How to style a cow print bag without going full cowboy
If you’re cow print curious but not quite ready to saddle up, a cow print bag is the perfect point of entry. Think of it as the unexpected punctuation in your outfit – small, but emphatic.
To keep things sleek, opt for a brown-and-white pony hair crossbody or clutch rather than bold black-and-white iterations. Pair it with creamy neutrals, dark chocolate tones or soft suiting like a charcoal trench or grey maxi coat and let the bag do the heavy lifting.
Prada spring/summer '91. Photo: Courtesy of Prada
Borrow from the Prada runway archive with a cow print skirt
The cow print skirt is a surprisingly versatile base layer. Especially so when approached with a minimalist ’90s lens. Less rhinestone cowgirl, more Kate Moss, post-festival, ducking paparazzi in Notting Hill, this look is best when everything else is pared back: A fitted tank or fine knit in cream or bone, worn with ballet flats or kitten heels.
Gestuz spring/summer '25. Photo: Courtesy of Gestuz
Why a cow print belt is the easiest way to buckle in to the trend
Belts are rarely the star of the show, but a cow print belt is no background player. Worn right, it delivers just enough yeehaw to reframe an outfit without tipping into theme dressing.
Take cues from Gestuz SS25, where an oversized cow print belt cinched the waist of noir eveningwear. That contrast is the key to making this piece feel modern, so wear yours belted over a black slip dress, oversized blazer or full-length coat. You can also thread it through wide-leg trousers and a crisp button-up for a 9-to-5 nod to the trend – no lasso required.
Dior resort 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Dior
Consider a rodeo type of romance when wearing a cow print jacket
A cow print jacket walks a fine line that, when tipped too far into Western territory, can start to feel costume-y. But Dior's resort 2024 collection showed us how it’s done: cropped, textured, and paired with a soft white prairie dress. Taking this rodeo romance into account, we'd wear our pony hair jacket over floaty fabrics – cotton, silk, even tulle – or wide-leg linen separates.
Photo: Christina Elezaj (@elezaj)
Why cow print boots are still the coolest way to stomp around
There are shoes, and then there are cow print boots. If there’s one item that still holds influence from the print’s heyday, it’s this; a knee-high statement shoe that manages to feel both ironic and iconic. To nail the look, we'd stick to structured layers up top — oversized blazers or clean shirting, for example.
