Leopard Print Ruled the 2025 SI Swimsuit Issue, and It’s the Perfect Neutral

Olivia Dunne, Ilona Maher, Achieng Agutu and Ellie Thumann make the case for animal print.

Ellie Thumann was photographed by Ben Watts in Bermuda. Swimsuit top by Andi Bagus. Swimsuit bottom by Lybethras. Shorts by KSUBI. Hat by Eugenia Kim. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

When you think neutral hues, colors like black, white, gray or brown may initially spring to mind. And while those are all great bases for your wardrobe, we’re here to remind you that animal print is, in fact, a neutral.

Whether you gravitate toward cheetah, zebra, tiger or leopard print, each offers a neutral color palette and can be paired with just about anything. And like classic hues like charcoal or ivory, which are bound to be wardrobe staples, animal print seems to always be trending these days.

Incorporating the pattern into your swimwear wardrobe is a particularly chic way to test out the trend. Leopard print in particular was a staple in the 2025 SI Swimsuit Issue, spotted on models like Olivia Dunne, Ilona Maher, Achieng Agutu and Ellie Thumann, each of whom posed for this year’s magazine in Bermuda. Below, we’re throwing it back to a few of our favorite leopard print styles from this year’s issue in order to inspire your next tropical getaway.

Leopard print is here to stay

Olivia Dunne

Olivia Dunne was photographed by Ben Watts in Bermuda. Swimsuit by Tropic of C. Shirt by MONSE. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Dunne, who earned a 2025 SI Swimsuit Issue cover following her photo shoot with Ben Watts in the stunning location, demonstrated how to accent leopard print with a simple cropped T in a bold color. The content creator and retired gymnast nailed her feature in Bermuda, which came on the heels of her second SI Swimsuit photo shoot in Portugal and her rookie feature in Puerto Rico.

Ilona Maher

Ilona Maher was photographed by Ben Watts in Bermuda. Swimsuit by Tropic of C. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Maher, a two-time SI Swimsuit model who was the star of our September 2024 digital cover, also slayed in leopard print. The only accessory the Olympic rugby athlete needed while in this set in Bermuda? A simple white puka shell necklace stack and a stunning smile.

Achieng Agutu

Achieng Agutu was photographed by Ben Watts in Bermuda. Swimsuit by White Fox. Necklace by Julietta. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Agutu, co-winner of the 2023 Swim Search open casting call, returned to the fold for her sophomore photo shoot in style. Whether a string bikini, as modeled by Dunne and Maher, or an underwire style with support, as seen on Agutu, above, leopard print is super on-trend.

Ellie Thumann

Ellie Thumann was photographed by Ben Watts in Bermuda. Swimsuit top by Andi Bagus. Swimsuit bottom by Lybethras. Shorts by KSUBI. Hat by Eugenia Kim. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

We adore this look on Thumann, a three-time SI Swimsuit model, for a number of reasons. One, the pop of green on the Andi Bagus top is so refreshing, and the fact that SI Swimsuit’s fashion team assembled this look with animal print pieces from three different brands goes to show how well the pattern works from head to toe.