Make a statement by adding some flora and fauna to your wardrobe – courtesy of Gucci, Alexander McQueen, Givenchy and more.

Over the past few seasons, designers have harvested bumper crops of bold botanicals in their collections – introducing many a plant print to everything from camp-collar shirts at KAPITAL and Neighborhood to graphic sweatshirts at Alexander McQueen and Wooyoungmi. Recently, we’ve also spotted growing populations of rather fantastic – if ferocious-looking – creatures lurking within these prints, including packs of screaming monkeys and growling dogs at Givenchy, as well as dragons and serpents at Gucci.

While real-life encounters with this wild fauna might inspire fear, the wearing of such sartorially biodiverse pieces should not. However, we would advise approaching the trend with caution, so as not to attract attention for the wrong reasons. Thankfully, we at MR PORTER are experts when it comes to taming statement styles and have put together the following guide. Scroll down for three ways to wear wild prints well.

The realm of smart casual can be difficult to get right at the best of times. And even if you’ve mastered this notoriously troublesome dress code, you might be growing tired of all those nice blue shirts and neutral chinos by now. Which would suggest it’s perhaps time to mix it up. Try adding a floral shirt to an unstructured deep navy blazer – like the above piece from Saturdays NYC, designed exclusively for MR PORTER – to give your outfit a bit of flair. This Alexander McQueen short-sleeved shirt is just the thing, and its monochrome palette will ensure you remain safely on the smarter side of casual.

The saying goes that a leopard can’t change its spots. But really, why not. Switch up those spots for stripes, if you please, or indeed a whole load of leopards courtesy of PS By Paul Smith, in this fun print shirt. Remember, however, to balance bolder items with simpler ones. Select a key shade from the print and find block-coloured pieces in the same tone to match. These slim-fit corduroy trousers from Parisian minimalist Ami, for example, will help to offset the busy nature of the shirt.

Graphic sweatshirts are an easy way to add edge to a casual look, and few designs are more coveted in this department than Givenchy’s statement animal motifs – often seen on fashionable folk as they scamper in between shows in Paris and Milan. This particularly intense cobra sweater – cut in Mr Riccardo Tisci’s signature Cuban fit – is one of our favourites for the new season. Proper style fanatics will no doubt be able to pull off something equally extravagant on the bottom half, but for the rest of us, it’s safer with statement pieces to adopt a less-is-more approach. A sleek, slim-fit pair of black jeans – like this leather-trimmed example from Alexander McQueen – will help to ground the look.