looking good in lace

But both investments and bargains are out there to be had, if you take the trouble to seek them out, and lace is great place to start.

Lace has been all over the High Street for spring and summer and it’s a trend that is continuing into the autumn-winter, so now is the time to look for key pieces to take you right through to the end of the year and beyond.

Kate Middleton has been snapped recently in a black lace dress, while red lace prom dresses rocked at Glastonbury. Plus the vintage feel of the wedding dresses of both the Kates who got married (Middleton and Moss) mean that white lace has never been so fashionable.

Upcoming colours for autumn include blue, rust, black (lots of it) and white, plus smatterings of green and red again, so look out for these. Don’t just rely on the online offering of a brand because the fact that it’s not online doesn’t necessarily mean an item is not in store, so it’s worth looking, especially if you take a larger size.

For the summer, team your lace dress with bare legs or nude toned tights (I never thought I’d see the day when I would actually set out to buy a pair of American tan tights, but it’s arrived) and add sandals for day (although I always prefer sturdy heeled ankle boots with lace as it toughens up the look) and heels for evening – stiletto for fitted shift dresses, in keeping with the sexiness, and platforms for prom dresses and tunic dresses, to balance out the volume.

Coast is coming up with some especially gorgeous lace dresses for the coming autumn-winter in some great colours, so it’s well worth a visit.

Black lace is a particularly good investment as it never really goes out of fashion, but keep the look on the sexy, sassy side this year to avoid looking too sombre.

White and cream lace dresses are massive this summer, which must be causing a few dilemmas about whether or not to wear it to a wedding, to avoid the embarrassment of being mistaken for the bride.

I would say that a short cream lace dress should be fine as long as you accessorise with perhaps a brown leather or woven belt and with a different coloured jacket or cardigan, perhaps black. If it’s not too formal a wedding, a neat little denim jacket will work well.

So hit the shops this weekend and see what lace is out there. It’s great now with your bare legs, and come winter, it will still be great with your thick woolly tights. What’s not to like?