I attended a charity ball last Saturday night, and while this should conjure up illusions of grandeur, glittering men and women swathed in silk and sequins coquettishly batting their eyes and battling for attention, I am sorry to say, it wasn’t quite the case.

What has happened to dress standards?

I bemoan the loss of elegance, and beg to bring back a higher standard of dress, particularly at formal occasions. Though it wasn’t all bad, with plenty of ladies in some fabulous frocks, there were however plenty of mismatched outfits which warranted style arrest.

I saw everything from 80’s two-tone taffeta formal dresses, cartoon clip on ties, clunky open toed shoes with stockings. The worst possible offence though was one fairly obvious wedding dress.

In case you have an upcoming ball, formal wedding or ‘after 5’ event, there are a few major do’s and don’ts to keep you in style.

Do…

· Do wear full length black jersey. Don’t wear full length satin or two-tone taffeta. Jersey is the new silk and can be found in many great designers boutiques. Leona Edmiston has done a great one each season for the past few years. I buy a new one each year in black and it sees me well dressed up or down for any occasion.

· Do check the suit. Have your partner inspect and try on the tux a week before to ensure it fits, and is ready to go. If he only wear your tux every three years to the odd wedding expect it to get tight and need readjusting or replacing.

· Do prepare yourself. Invest in a great black gown or well made tuxedo for these events. It’s nice to know if the occasion arises you have something perfect to wear. There is nothing worse than having a week to find the perfect dress. You will end up buying something you never wear again. Always pick something classic up in the sales that can be worn over and over.

· Do wear your hair up. If you know you aren’t great with a hair dryer spend the money and have your hair done professionally. It makes the biggest impact to your outfit and takes you away from the everyday. An easy and cheap solution is to sweep your hair to the side, bobby pin into a chignon and throw in an oversized silk flower for effect. Try Alannah Hill for gorgeous silk and beaded styles. This is a dramatic take on the accessory and will lift any black dress to the divine

· Do wear high heels or stiletto’s. The right shoes can make or break an outfit. Always have a classic black open toed stiletto on hand.

· Do wear a wrist corsage. The only trick will be getting your beloved to order it in time.

Don’t…

· Don’t let your partner out with any cartoon or crazy prints. But do make him learn to tie a bow tie. It makes the night all the more special.

· Don’t ever wear your wedding dress, unless it’s a silk Collette Dinnigan or Tiger Lily slip it’s not appropriate.

Finally, if you happen to run into a very well dressed girl wearing that same Leona Edmiston frock you’re wearing, compliment her on her style (as I did!)