How to dress like Snoopy, Woodstock and all your other favourite comic strip characters from Mr Charles M Schulz’s beloved comic book.

One of the standout items in the edit of Gucci’s AW16 collection available on MR PORTER is a bright red wool sweater with a picture of a dog on the front. But not just any old dog – this beagle is something of an icon, and a serious style heavyweight. While Snoopy might not have been the central figure of Mr Charles M Schulz’s Peanuts comic strip – that would be his owner, Charlie Brown – he was ostensibly its star.

Along with his sidekick Woodstock, the little yellow bird, Snoopy features prominently in Mr Alessandro Michele’s latest batch of playful pieces from the much-revered luxury Italian house. If you’re quick, you might just catch one. And if you’re feeling inspired, here’s the style lessons you can learn from Snoopy’s sartorially savvy cohorts:

The protagonist of the Peanuts comic strip is often insecure, regularly sadistically toyed with by his tormentor Lucy and despondent to the point that his sad, sulky trudge home was turned into a running gag in cult American comedy Arrested Development. But he’s also courageous when he needs to be. He is the pitcher and manager of his baseball team – and he’s got a trademark outfit that he knows works for him. Much like Mr Mark Zuckerberg, when he has so many things to worry about, the clothes he puts on in the morning shouldn’t be one of them. (Although a bright yellow T-shirt is a somewhat braver choice than a grey hoodie.)

The long-suffering younger brother of Lucy; like his best friend Charlie Brown, he’s a more complex and well-rounded character than the two-dimensional comic-strip framework suggests. He’s easily wound up and still sucks his thumb, but he’s wise beyond his years and – despite his sister’s attempts to bill herself as the family thinker, with her psychiatrist booth – is the real philosophical sage of the gang. His wardrobe is suitably thoughtful, and mark our words: the security blanket is set to be the accessory of the season.

Peanuts’ resident musical prodigy, much like his idol Mr Ludwig van Beethoven. But rather than the trussed-up look of the illustrious composer, Schroeder favours an item that is a staple in the MR PORTER office – the stripy top – often in a striking purple. Teamed with black trousers and brown shoes, he is clearly a man (er, boy) who sticks to essentials, but does them well, with a maverick turn for colour combinations.

The first black person to feature in Mr Schulz’s strips, Franklin also holds the distinction of being seemingly one of the few members of the Peanuts gang to actually change their clothes from time to time. Sometimes seen in a Harrington jacket, he’s usually in corduroy trousers of one shade or another – or black shorts – and invariably a pair of sneakers. He also wears a rollneck well, and is confident experimenting with textures and tones. MR PORTER very much approves.

The theory of nominative determinism suggests that your given name can have some impact on your life and career. That may be the case, but when applied to cultural figures or products, it can feel forced, or as though it is compensation for perceived failings, or even a bit try-hard – which is why the Mitsubishi Carisma might not actually be the most exciting car you’ll ever drive. However, the moniker adopted by Snoopy’s student alias at least appropriates the timeless signifier of cool – the sunglasses. The sweater with your own name on it is probably not for everyone, mind.

Alongside Snoopy, his wingman has also found his way onto Mr Michele’s designs; named after the era-defining 1969 festival, we have both love and understanding for the Gucci pieces featuring this tiny bird. But what of our avian friend himself? Well, while we’re somewhat ambivalent when it comes to feathers, yellow is a shade that we can get with. It’s cheerful, and actually surprisingly complimentary. Wear it with more subdued tones to give an outfit a pop of colour.