Leopard must be spot on

We all know the fashion industry is catty, but this doesn't wholly explain its love affair with leopard print. Season after season, at precise intervals of 18 months, this grisly trend rears its head again and again. Why grisly? Because unless you are Debbie Harry, or an equally charismatic frontswoman for a band, it's a very difficult look to get right. Christina Aguilera and Betty Hurley are just two of the celebs to have got it wrong by donning voluminous mottled dresses on the red carpet.

Leopard's associations with soap-star barmaids - Bet Lynch in the Nineties, Kat Slater in the Noughties - don't help its cause much, either. Will Kat ditch the sweaty, mesh, leopard-print tops now that she's marrying Alfie Moon? We hope not, for they are part of her inimitable charm.

This does not mean that they should be part of yours. You are not a Kat. You are a woman of subtle charms. Prada's leopard-print mac would be far more appropriate. Leopard-print works particularly well on coats because it looks bold rather than blousy. Prada's is one of the best of the season, although Marc's canvas version isn't far behind. His is tie-belted and comes in a more faded incarnation that is much gentler on the eye.

One of the scariest leopard-prints of the season is by Louis Vuitton. Not content with spots, Mr Jacobs has embellished silk shirts with the animals' heads as well. Fangs for that, Marc.

On the high street, H&M, Zara and Karen Millen have come up with leopard-print coats, while Dune has a selection of boots and shoes. Go the Theresa May route if you don't feel brave enough to wear the clothes: a flash of leopard-print footwear will pay lip-service. Or how about a flash of bra strap? Agent Provocateur has a sexy range of push-up bras that will have men desperate to get their claws into you.