The watchword: sparkle! The advice? Go early: to avoid a stressful last-minute rush, it’s best to act now and put together at least two outfits for your wardrobe, one for 25th December and another for the 31st.

For Christmas with family or friends, you can go beyond the classic red and get daring with velvet, below-the-knee pencil skirts paired with hand-knitted sweaters or forest colours. Add bows and hairbands for a sophisticated and traditional Christmas style that’s never out of fashion for the family festivities. The only concession to seduction is footwear: full-length or ankle boots, but also timeless stilettos that leave the upper foot naked.

With Christmas over, New Year’s Eve is the time to dazzle. The goal: to look like Audrey Hepburn in Two for the Road (1967) with her iconic Paco Rabanne gown, or Mia Farrow in The Great Gatsby (1974) wearing a shimmering bead-covered evening dress, echoed by Carey Mulligan in the 2013 version with Leonardo DiCaprio; or Sharon Stone’s gold-trimmed seventies outfits in Casino.

So go wild seeking out sequinned blazers and matching trousers, over-the-top rhinestone earrings and gem-encrusted minibags that are just big enough to carry your phone yet become a jewel to wear on special occasions. Then there are minidresses with metal detailing, and embroidered tops to wear with generous skirts and flashy jewellery. Colours are red, gold, silver and lots of white, this year’s most elegant shade.

(ph. Marvin Meyer – Pexels)