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Although these days I sometimes wince at what I once considered ‘party wear’ – particularly when I discover an old Topshop dress barely longer than a T-shirt at the back of my wardrobe – one look I’ve stuck to strongly throughout the years is the party jacket.

We’re not talking a vampish blazer worn with nothing underneath (although go for it if you’ve got the confidence) or anything so sequin-strewn and colourful it could pass as a costume forStrictly.

No, the party jacket is a good balance of wearable shape (generally cropped just above the hip, so you can team with whatever slinky skirt or fabulous trousers you’ve chosen to dance in) and texturally interesting – whether that’s thanks to a plush fabric like velvet or satin, or embellishment of some kind (although I would say all-over sequins feels a bit passé now).

Party jackets are currently all over the shops – I’ve been admiring a tweed sparkly number in the window of my local M&S for several days, and Hush’s velvet jacket is definitely on my wish list.

What’s great about them is as well as offering an excellent option for those in-betweeny Christmas events – the ones where you need to look festive without being all-out glam – they can also easily be dressed down for everyday wear. Just add denim and you’ve instantly balanced out the festive feel.

They’re also pretty timeless so can be pulled out year after year. Trust me, I might not be wearing those Miss Selfridges minis from my twenties any , but I’ve got a few good jackets that have seen me seamlessly through years of winters out on the razzle.

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