Context is everything, as an outfit your girlfriends love could make your boss recoil in horror. ROSEMARY MaCCABE's cut-out-and-keep guide will point you in the right direction

Girls’ night is an excuse to go all out and throw sartorial caution to the wind: this is the one group guaranteed to commend your bravery without sneering at your fashionable pandemonium. This combination ticks all the boxes: leather, feathers, sequin and animal print.

For a formal meal, keep hem and necklines low and think class all the way. This Carven dress with a gold collar will keep you on the right side of edgy, and this boyfriend coat from Topshop is over-the-top cool without trying to be sexy.

For casual worktime drinks, stick to the office formula, with a more youthful twist in brighter colours – and you can easily mix separates such as these in and out of your wardrobe. Fun accents such as this faux-collared jumper keep things relaxed.

Dates at Christmas are a minefield: apart from the whole do-we-don’t-we? Christmas- present question aside, there’s the temptation to wear your heart on your sleeve and go out in head-to-toe scarlet. Resist the urge. Think flirty fabrics, such as lace and satin, and make your homage to the season subtle: these glittery court shoes are fun without being over the top.