BIG cats never go out of style. Just ask the Hollywood celebrity cougars who have been hogging the media limelight with their young cubs.

Ditto Courteney Cox and her hit series, Cougartown. Closer to home, leopard “preens” have been enjoying a mini revival since a certain newly-minted condom spokeswoman “boomz” her way into headline-grabbing notoriety.

And if you want to start getting in on the act, there’s no better time to do so than this year – the year of the Tiger.

Even Swiss luxury leather goods and clothing label Bally has hopped on to the Tiger-year merchandising bandwagon and launched the Bally Tiger Year Busy-B handbag in limited edition.

Here are a few essential tips for the brave fashionistas who dare boldly go where scaredy cats fear to tread:

1. Know your spots from your stripes There are animal prints and there are animal prints. Feline prints like leopard, tiger and cheetah are easier on the eye and look better on the body than cows, giraffe and zebra, whose prints are bigger, with more white space in-between and way more challenging to pull off.

2. It’s okay to think small If you don’t have the confidence to mix-and-match the right looks, keep those fun prints on bags, accesories, belts and small leather goods.

3. Whisper, not shout... Go for animal print accents, rather than statements, and keep the rest of the outfit in neutral shades like black, cream, beige, white, khaki.

Don’t forget, you are calling attention to whereveryou put the prints on. So highlight your better assets and play downyour not-too-flattering ones. Take your cue this season from Etienne Aigner’s latest Spring Summer 2010 collection, Exotica.

Its interpretation of animal print fashion is classy, tasteful and yes, safe.

4. But if you want to shout... Do it with style in a dress that’ll channel old Hollywood glamour like actress Elizabeth Banks in this Christian Dior leopard- print sheath. Notice how she keeps her accessories to a minimum and pairs the dress with a subtle cream-coloured peep-toe pumps.

Now this, is what I call “picture purrfect”.

This article was first published in The New Paper.