Party people

The high-street does love a good party. As soon as they catch a whiff of November the sparkles come out with a vengeance. Tops are cut a little lower, pencil skirts a little tighter (wouldn't want to waste some nice shiny satin) and everything catches the light. Glitter! Gems! Velvet! Yes ladies and gentlemen, it's that time again - the festive season.

Although some stores overstep the 'shiny, tight and sparkly' mark (not naming names here)... there are some fail-safe staples that always feel comforting during the holiday season. A little black dress with requisite black sequins, a silver sequinned top, a strapless dress. So - to do some of the work for you and cut out the 'wooooah baaaad' winces, here are a couple of suggestions!

It's often seen as the go-to for a bridesmaid dress or office party, but Monsoon is really throwing up some good options this Christmas. The strapless bodice dress above left is in this season's chic deep blue, with 'underwear as outerwear' qualities. The top in the middle is also Monsoon, and although it has a slight undercurrent of mermaid fashion, I think it would look great with black slim trousers and uber-high heels. Finally if your penchant is tunic dresses, try Oasis for a gemmed-up, sheer sleeve number that you'll probably only wear at Christmas but let's face it, it's sparkly and makes you smile so go for us.

www.monsoon.co.uk

www.oasis-stores.com

Jaeger Lady.

Keeping up with my 'trust me I'm a grown up' faze, I have been scouring the web looking for inspiration for my wardrobe. In my dream world where I order from Net-a-porter daily and have unlimited access to unlimited Louboutins, I am a perfect mix of Isabel Marant (French grown up), Chloe (luxe grown up) and Calvin Klein (minimalist grown up). In reality I'm more 'steal-clothes-from-Fashionable-Mother's-wardrobe grown up' which isn't quite hitting the mark now my mother is in her All Saints de-constructed faze.

Hobbs suddenly has new relevance to me this year, maybe because I am mentally as well as fashionably growing up. It just seems to stock Proper Clothes at the moment, luxurious knitwear, stunning evening wear with proper boning and crinoline. Jigsaw also appeals to my new fashion self with its tailored jackets, sexy skirts and smart boots. But furthermore, I have found a new source of inspiration (even though the price points are more dream WW than the real life version) in Jaeger, the British brand that has been around since 1884 yet only properly on the high-fashion, luxury, fashion week, Vogue-featuring radar for a relatively short time now since the launch of the womenswear collection in 2005.

It is choc-full of lurrrvely pieces that as soon as I have really Grown Up and earn more/feel more sophisticated I would love to be dashing around town in every day. A beautiful camel coat means I can no longer think of any other alternatives, meaning that I shall once again be without a winter coat. The shoes are Proper Sexy Woman shoes, not your average slip on mid-heel office shoe. Dresses are wasp-waisted and lined, the ideal Grown Up Working Woman silhouette, and the eveningwear is super-luxe. Even the jewellery has more than a dash of exciting 'I was on the catwalk at Fashion Week' about it, but still classy enough to wear office-to-cocktails-at-Claridge's.

Moot over your own Jaeger wardrobe at www.jaeger.co.uk

The horsey look.

Something strange is happening. After years of trying to create an 'urban chic' wardrobe and partake in various rebellions against my countryside-raised youth, I am being curiously drawn to a look that can only be described as 'a little bit horsey'.

Now the urban Sloane look has always been mostly repellent to me; twinsets, pearls and a bob on anyone under 35 is just weird, but the tweeds, boots and cashmere most commonly associated with upper crusts in the country is looking surprising on trend and right up my street (quite literally, in the case of my parent's house) for autumn/winter.

Vivienne Westwood may have cottoned on to the country-set trend in the Eighties with plenty of Harris Tweed and equestrian-shape jackets, but recently the clean lines and chic palette seen on the AW10 catwalks of Chloe etc do not seem out of place teamed with a tweed jacket (elbow patches included) and a pair of shiny black Hunter wellies.

In fact, a quick walk around West London last Monday saw a depletion in the usual 21st Century Sloane look of white jeans, flat brown boots, pasminas and messy hair, and a move towards a sexy-roll-in-the-hay country look, funked up with seasonal trends and plenty of confidence. Think black jeans, shiny buckled tight black boots, a nipped in riding jacket and a silk scarf (or chunky knitted snood). The foot staple of 2010, the Ugg, has been replaced with Hunters galore in green, black or purple, and both Jigsaw and Whistles, two of the hottest high street brands in recent months, are showcasing collections complete with grown-up shooting-at-Gosford-Park jackets, camel or black jodphur style trousers (either pegged and buttoned at the trouser cuffs or skin-tight luxury cotton).

And why do I like this? Well it all seems very Grown Up. I've spoken before about my relief that the child-woman outfits of years gone by (boho, gothy, overstyled Balmain glamour and clogs) and the luxe introduction of gorgeous fabrics and non-labelled labels from Celine, Mad Men-esque Prada and Whistles silky, styled pieces. Even French Connection has cleaned up its sparkly OTT act and produced lovely dresses, knitwear and trouser shapes for autumn. And the country look seems to be a manifestation of that. And don't think it has to be the preserve of the Notting Hill yummy mummies -tweed, black boots and skinnies and be as high-fashion as you want to make it, just don't forget the elbow patches.

Jacket pictured is from Jigsaw www.jigsaw-online.com