I went to a birthday lunch last weekend for a friend who was turning 35.

It was at a Justin Hemmes owned pub (there isn’t anywhere in Sydney that is not a Justin Hemmes owned pub) and it was in Bondi, so I went for that beach/lunch casual look, jeans, and a white a T-shirt, a big oversized cashmere cardigan, ankle boots.

All the girls looked fabulous, in pretty dresses with denim jackets, and then the birthday girl arrived in a sparkly silver sequinned dress with a matching sparkly silver Alice band. It was so fun to see someone who had just gone all out, and I immediately felt like I hadn’t made enough effort.

Occasions are worth going the extra distance. It’s so easy to just slide into a uniform like a black pantsuit, or a white shirt, and they will always have an important place in a wardrobe, but there a few additions we should bear in mind.

With the festive season coming, give these items some consideration.

An Alice band: highly decorated headbands are very on-trend, and will work well over the racing season as well. Look for style in velvet, leather and satin, studded with pearls, jewels and sequins. They look great with hair pulled into a sleek ponytail or low bun and are humidity friendly.

The Alice band will be your best friend when sticky, humid summer days hit. Photo: Getty

A satin shirt in a bright colour: Kate Moss stopped everybody in their tracks recently when she rocked up to an event wearing a pair of grey tailored trousers and a grey/silver satin shirt. The simplicity of the look is very Jacqueline Sussan, 1970s sexy and is very easy to achieve. It’s a great look if the shirt is the same colour as the pants, and think about colours such as deep pink, peacock green, indigo blue, yellow and gold.

Kate Moss leads by example when it comes to satin shirts. Photo: Getty

Something sparkly: In my friend’s case it was a whole dress, but even just the addition of a sparkly blazer, T-shirt or even a Lurex boot will add impact. It will look more balanced if you put the high-energy sparkle back with something more sedate – a sequinned skirt with a cotton sweater, a glittery jacket over jeans. A sneaker will always tone the look down if you feel too tizzy.

Nothing says party season like sparkly attire. Photo: Getty

Chunky metal jewellery: Now don’t quote me because trends last pretty much 48 hours nowadays but the fine jewellery trend seems to be making way for more significant, chunky, big link gold chain jewellery that has a touch of vintage 70s about it.

Fine jewellery is on its way out. The next big thing is big, chunky chains. Photo: Getty

The new-look sandal: It’s strappy, and barely there and has a very prominent square cut front sole. I personally hate the look, and all I can envisage is sweaty toes splayed out like dubious cocktail frankfurts but it is all the rage with the fashion set, and Bottega Veneta can’t keep them in stock. But that’s the summer look changer so all I can say is good luck, get a superior pedicure and make sure you wear them as much as you can, because we will hate them by March.

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