The joy of getting dressed up

Party season is officially declared open. Make an effort this year, please, asks Caroline Leaper

If “party season” officially begins after Hallowe’en, I made my first effort of the year last week at a black-tie gala: a floor-length gown by Needle & Thread, in an unmissable raspberry coloured tulle.

At the swish London ballroom, almost all of the men had played it safe in smart-but-boring black tuxedos, but the women had taken a more scattergun sartorial approach. One woman was in a tux-inspired jumpsuit, another in a ballerina skirt, another in gold brocade.

But there were as many howlers as there were high-fashion nods. I saw forgivable summer dresses and dodgy mismatched pashminas, but, in the worst instances, black denim and Skechers trainers on the dance floor. There was no orthopaedic cause – I checked.

Some might argue that I’m being pernickety about the dress codes. I’m not cross, I’m just disappointed. The subjects in question have wasted a prime opportunity to enjoy Making a

Bit of an Effort. Forget JOMO (the apparently trendy Joy of Missing Out), JOGADU is the Joy of Getting All Dressed Up, and it’s a mood that facilitates all of the season’s most fun-to-wear trends. Feathers, satin, tulle, sequins, velvet and brocade fabrics are all over the shops, spanning from Ralph & Russo’s £22,000 evening dresses, to H&M’S new tulle-focused collaboration with Giambattista Valli, priced from £12.99.

On the red carpet, women from Angelina Jolie to Queen Letizia of Spain are experimenting with confidence-boosting fantasy fashion regardless of whether it’s an evening gala or the middle of the afternoon.

There are wearable, comfortable iterations of the perennial party trends that don’t compromise on enjoyment and new trend nuances to explore. If you buy well, you will re-wear these party pieces again and again. The only thing that’s resolutely out this season is doing anything in half measures…