Table for four? Check. Taxi pre-booked? Check. But what to wear … While we love trousers and skirts as much as the next person, a dress is the easiest piece to throw on and look pulled together, and is ideal for day-to-night dressing if you are heading for drinks after. A dress will work for any lunch you’re invited to this festive season and it’s also a great seasonless piece; wear alone next spring or layer over a polo-neck sweater knit and a pair of wool tights on colder days. A firm favourite among style aficionados like queen of rock Kate Moss and French film siren Isabelle Huppert, a dress no matter what your personal style, is universally flattering and suits almost all figures depending how you layer it. For an evening out, swap out boots for heels and a pair of tonal 20 denier tights and you are good to go …

Main featured image: Black Genie velvet dress, Queens of Archive, €479, at Seagreen.