Bag, £35, M&S Collection (marksandspencer.com) PARTY SEASON SOS

IT’S FINALLY DECEMBER! Which means we are now bauble-earrings deep in party season. But you’ll know that, of course, from the influx of sparkly clothes, sparkly drinks and much less sparkly faces on your morning commute.

Whether you don’t have a free night until January, or just a couple of blowout dos on the agenda, the pressure is on. No wonder we all slip into hysterical language: ‘I’m dying!’ we declare. ‘How will you be surviving party season?’ we ask. December, it seems, transforms us all into Bear Grylls in a bandage dress.

So, what should be the tactics of the intrepid party-goer? Plasters, a portable charger and a pint of water before bed all deserve a shout out. ‘An exceptionally good Bloody Mary is the single most effective hangover cure,’ says designer Olivia von Halle. The interior designer Matilda Goad, meanwhile, is all about milk thistle – ‘A welcome hero at this time of year.’ ‘In the way that yoga is all about your breath, party season is all about your hydration,’ says writer and creative director Raven Smith. ‘Keep it interesting by bulk-buying different drinks – still, sparkling, coconut, charcoal, birch – removing the labels and rouletting your liquid intake.’

One area you should avoid rouletting, however, is your wardrobe. The question of what to wear is laden with a particular kind of pressure at this time of year. An outfit must be glamorous but not garish, special but not safe, festive but not fancy dress. Furthermore, not all parties are born equal – the demands of a daytime do are different to the night out-out – and all of them require slightly different dress codes. Exhausting? Of course – but our SOS style guide has you covered for every party eventuality. Don’t worry, you’ll survive it. 