Tiger Print Clothing: How to Wear It, From Coat to Knit Set

Tiger print clothing looks best as one strong piece set against plain neutrals: a tiger coat over black, a tiger skirt with a solid cashmere knit, a matching tiger set worn with nothing else patterned. For Fall 2026, Adam Lippes offers two versions: the Margaux coat and Rei skirt in the Scalamandré Le Tigre motif, woven as silk velvet, and a separate tiger print knitted in hand-brushed cashmere.

The two read very differently on the body. The velvet is sharp, graphic and dressy; the cashmere is soft-edged and easy enough for a weekday. Below: where the Scalamandré tiger comes from, what each piece is like, and how to wear tiger print from morning to dinner.

Is tiger print in style for fall 2026?

Yes. Adam Lippes put tiger on the runway for Fall 2026 at New York Fashion Week in February 2026, in a collection otherwise built on winter white, icy neutrals, racing red and deep black. Tiger sits in that palette as the warm note: amber, caramel and near-black stripes that make a cream knit look creamier and a black trouser look blacker.

It also has an advantage over most prints. Tiger stripes are big, directional and irregular, so the pattern carries from across a room without looking busy up close. Of the animal prints, it is also the less familiar one, which is half its appeal.

What is the Scalamandré Le Tigre print?

Le Tigre is a tiger motif introduced by Franco Scalamandré in the 1960s. Scalamandré is a heritage fabric house that has been making textiles since 1929.

For Fall 2026, Adam Lippes and Scalamandré made a limited-edition collaboration of exactly two pieces, the Margaux coat and the Rei skirt. Both are cut from a dense silk velvet with an ombre tiger motif: in the brand’s own description, a 100% silk velvet pile on a finely woven cotton-blend ground. Velvet pile has a direction, so the stripes deepen and lighten as you move and the light catches the nap. That shifting tone is the whole point of the cloth, and no flat print can copy it.

The Margaux coat: the tiger print coat to buy

The Margaux Coat in Tiger Jacquard is cut as a single-breasted car coat and lined in silk. A car coat is traditionally short and straight, cut for ease of movement, so the shape sits as well over a skirt as over trousers. Verdict: best tiger piece for anyone who wants the print to do all the work.

Treat it the way you would a fur jacket. Underneath, keep to one dark colour: the Eve turtleneck in espresso fine cashmere with the Noam stovepipe pant in black stretch silk-wool gives you an unbroken column for the coat to frame. For evening, wear it open over the Sitara dress in black stretch silk-wool, whose draped boat neck shows at the collar. The brand designed the Margaux to be worn as a set with the Rei skirt, which is the most dramatic way to wear it and the subject of the next section.

The Rei skirt: a tiger print skirt for day and dinner

The Rei Skirt in Tiger Jacquard is a knee-length pencil skirt in the same silk velvet, lined in silk and finished with a self-covered belt and a polished silver buckle. The belt can be removed for a cleaner line. Verdict: the easiest way into Scalamandré’s tiger, because a skirt only asks for a plain top.

With the belt on, the Rei wants a knit tucked in: the Didion crew in espresso has a close, sleek fit that will not bunch at the waist. With the belt off, a silk shirt left loose works better. The Mathias shirt in bronze silk charmeuse picks up the gold in the stripes, and its concealed mother-of-pearl placket keeps the front plain. For a formal dinner, the Kaia cowl top in black charmeuse is the sharper choice.

Wearing the Rei with the Margaux coat is a full tiger look. It works because both pieces share one cloth, so the effect is of a suit, not a clash. Keep everything else black.

The brushed-cashmere tiger: Ari top and Amari skirt

Not every tiger piece in the collection is Scalamandré. The Ari top and Amari skirt carry a separate tiger print, knitted in hand-brushed cashmere, and they are not part of the collaboration.

Brushing raises the cashmere fibres into a soft halo, so the stripes blur at their edges and the whole surface feels like the inside of a good glove. The Ari Top in Brushed Cashmere, Tiger is a short-sleeve mock neck trimmed in fine ribbing. The Amari Skirt in Brushed Cashmere, Tiger falls to a midi length, and the brand designed the two as a set. Verdict: best tiger print for daytime and for anyone who finds velvet too formal.

Worn together they make a knit dress in two pieces. Worn apart they are more versatile still: the Amari with the Cruz cardigan in ivory, whose Swarovski crystal buttons add a little light, and the Ari tucked into the Levi skirt in ivory so only the top half carries the print. Our guide to sweater skirt sets covers the knit sets in more depth.

Tiger coat vs tiger skirt vs tiger knit: which one?

If you buy one, buy the piece that matches how often you will wear it. The Amari earns its place weekly. The Margaux is the one people will remember.

How to wear tiger print

The principle is simple: tiger is the loudest thing in the outfit, so everything else agrees with it.

• Pull your neutrals from the stripes. Espresso, black, ivory and camel all live inside the print, so a knit in any of them looks chosen.
• One tiger piece per look, unless you are wearing a matched set from one cloth. The Margaux with the Rei works; the Margaux with the Amari does not, because velvet and brushed knit fight.
• No second pattern. A fine stripe shirt next to tiger stripes looks like a mistake.
• Plain shoes and bags. Smooth black leather, nothing logo-heavy.
• Match the texture to the hour. Brushed cashmere for daytime, silk velvet for after dark.

Tiger print for daytime

The Amari skirt with the Eve turtleneck in mink and flat knee boots is the easiest weekday tiger outfit we know. Add the Daia coat in ebony double-face cashmere on top; its floor length and dark colour keep the print to a flash of stripe as you walk.

Tiger print for evening

Go to the velvet. The Rei skirt with the Kaia top and a sheer black tight, then the Margaux over your shoulders. Gold jewellery repeats the warm tones of the stripes; silver repeats the Rei’s buckle. Pick one metal and stay with it.

Can you wear tiger print to work?

Yes, with a knit. The Ari top under a dark jacket shows only a band of print at the neck and wrist, and the Rei skirt with the belt removed and a black crew neck reads as polished. Our notes on how to style Adam Lippes cover more office combinations.

Tiger print vs leopard print

Tiger is a stripe; leopard is a rosette. Leopard spreads evenly across a garment and behaves almost like a neutral. Tiger has direction, so a tiger coat looks different from the front than from the side, and placement matters more. If you already own leopard, tiger is the next step; if you own neither, leopard is gentler.

Coveti also has earlier Adam Lippes leopard pieces, among them the Tess Skirt in Natural Leopard and the Levi Skirt in Natural Leopard. For a house whose whole language is print, look at La DoubleJ. Browse every tiger and animal skirt in our designer skirts edit and outerwear in coats.

Shop the edit

• Best statement coat: Margaux Coat, Scalamandré Le Tigre
• Best evening skirt: Rei Skirt, Scalamandré Le Tigre
• Best daytime tiger: Amari Skirt in brushed cashmere
• Best tiger knit: Ari Top in brushed cashmere

Frequently asked questions

What should I wear with a tiger print skirt?

Wear a tiger print skirt with a plain top in a colour taken from the print, such as espresso, black, ivory and camel. A close-fitting cashmere crew neck works for day; a silk cowl top works for evening. Keep shoes and bags plain and avoid any second pattern, so the stripes stay the focal point of the outfit.

Is the Adam Lippes tiger coat part of the Scalamandre collaboration?

Yes. The Margaux coat and the Rei skirt are the two pieces in the limited-edition Adam Lippes x Scalamandre collaboration, both cut from silk velvet in the Le Tigre motif. The brushed-cashmere Ari top and Amari skirt use a different tiger print and are not part of the collaboration.

What is Scalamandre Le Tigre?

Le Tigre is a tiger motif introduced by Franco Scalamandre in the 1960s. Scalamandre is a heritage fabric house that has made textiles since 1929. For Fall 2026 Adam Lippes used Le Tigre in a dense silk velvet with an ombre tiger pattern, so the stripes shift in tone as the velvet pile catches the light.

Is tiger print classy?

Tiger print looks classy when it appears in one good piece against quiet neutrals. Choose a fine fabric, such as silk velvet and brushed cashmere, keep the rest of the outfit in solid black, espresso and ivory, and skip loud accessories. The print looks cheap only when it competes with other patterns and logos.

Can you wear a tiger print coat every day?

A tiger print coat can be worn often if the clothes underneath stay simple. Over a black turtleneck and black trousers it reads as a dark outfit with a bold topcoat. A short car coat shape, like the Margaux, is easier for daily wear than a long coat because it shows less print in total.

How do I care for a silk velvet tiger skirt?

Every Adam Lippes Fall 2026 piece, including the silk velvet Rei skirt, is labelled Dry Clean Only. Between wears, hang the skirt by its waistband so the velvet pile is not crushed, keep it away from rough bags that can rub the nap, and steam gently from the inside instead of pressing.

Read next: Adam Lippes Fall 2026, explained, houndstooth skirts and trousers and the Adam Lippes cashmere guide.