Join an art class

How we dress speaks about who were are, making it the single most important form of artistic self-expression for most of us.

The silhouettes we create, the balance of shape and form, are not only to redress the proportions of figures that may be less than Greek; they sculpt for us a form that pleases us, that we can then build upon, focus on with colour and pattern, using our own taste and artistic flair to create a look that is highly personal to us, that tells us and other people who we are – at least on that day, or at that party or that special event, because we can change our look too, to create a very different impression.

This season, expressing your inner arty side is made much easier and all the more interesting because artistic themes of all types have emerged as a strong influence on fashion, and the high street is awash with painterly prints and graphic looks making strong artistic statements.

Colour blocking, as in bumping great swatches of bold, bright colour up against each other, or perhaps teaming a bright pink or green top with a neutral grey, nude or black skirt or trousers, has its roots in the work of artists such as Mondrian, and you can also find pieces that come complete with their own copycat art print, as in this Mondrian print shift dress, above right. With a bold and distinctive all-over pattern such as this, keep accessories neutral, although you could, if feeling brave, just go for it by clashing another bold block colour in the form of a handbag (I don’t think it would work as well with shoes, though).

At its simplest, try an eye-poppingly bright top (a simple high-neck silk shirt, or silk T-shirt would work) and team with a pair of black or silver slim leg, flat-front, cropped trousers for a funky yet sleek beatnik look.

Colourful print can be a little forbidding for those not used to wearing a busy pattern, but somehow the artistic nature of many prints now around makes them more acceptable, less wishy-washy and middle-aged (I have had a fear of wearing floral prints since childhood, when I would frequently be dragged through polyester jungles of the stuff when shopping with mother at Marks & Spencer).

But there are some Seventies’ style dense kaleidoscope style prints that are far more appealing. Check out maxi dresses in particular for effective use, but do try them on, because you might feel you look like a pair of curtains. Teaming with a white or nude jacket can help (and it looks very rock ‘n’ roll). It’s worth trying tunic dresses too in a painterly or graphic print, and also prom dresses – Deco style prints work very well on both, but again, think long and hard about your accessories. Artistic is the look you’re after, not terrifying.

LILY AND SARAH’S TREASUE CHEST

Lily Allen and her sister Sarah Owen launched their debut collection for Lucy in Disguise at Harvey Nichols Leeds last week.

Inspired by items they have collected for their vintage rental shop in London’s Covent Garden, the 18-piece new design range is called Treasure Chest, offering Seventies’ style jumpsuits and maxi dress, Fifties’ style prom dresses and flapper style dresses, prices from £140.