Little Black Dresses (LBDs for Christmas Party

Everyone loves a LBD (Little Black Dress). It's the always classic, always reliable dress that you can pull out for those festive occasions, e.g. the office Christmas party. These days, the LBD comes in a variety of styles, shapes and silhouettes. The best thing about them is that they are like a blank canvas for you to dress up or down as required. Simply add some bling for a glammed-up look, or throw on a pair of ballet flats for those casual events. You know the drill by now - here are our favourite ten LBDs under £100 for this year's party season.

Above L-R: 1. Love Label Black Tutu Prom Dress, £65. 2. Motel Rocks Meg Dress, £39. 3. Topshop cut-out side ruched dress, £50.

Above L-R: 4. Republic Miso Tutu Dress, £69.99. 5. Lipsy by Pixie Lott Bandeau Prom Dress, £75. 6. Zara Short Sleeve Dress with Full Skirt, £39.99. 7. H&M Black Ruffle Dress, £24.99

Above L-R: 8. Topshop Fabienne Dress by Jones and Jones, £65. 9. Oasis Black Bow Prom Dress, £40. 10. ASOS Dr Denim Panelled Body Con Dress, £55.

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Velvet Party Dress for Christmas

Velvet Party Dress for Christmas

When thinking of Christmas party dresses, velvet isn't the first thing that usually springs to mind. But after Emma Watson recently stepped out on the red carpet in that black velvet Vionnet dress, from the label's A/W '10 collection, suddenly velvet is hot to trot again. Continuing on with our 100 Cheap Party Dresses for Christmas special, here is another ten dresses, all under £100, this time of the soft and luxurious variety.

Above L-R: 1. Isabelle Lurex Lace Velvet Skirt Dress, £20. 2. Fearne Cotton Velvet Drape Maxi Dress, £79. 3. Oasis One Shoulder Velvet Dress, £75. 4. TFNC Esther Dress, £30.

 

Above L-R: 5. Miss Selfridge Petites Berry Velvet Dress, £32. 6. Topshop Petite Velvet Bandeau Dress, £35. 6. Dorothy Perkins Mink velvet cornelli dress, £38.

 

Above L-R: 8. Love Label velvet bustier dress, £49. 9. Velvet Asymmetric Dress by Love, £32. 10. Warehouse velvet shift dress, £60.

Star style: How to dress for the cold and still look chic

Being from the Antipodes, where winter tends to be more like the summers I have experienced here, dressing for the subzero temperatures of a London winter doesn't come particularly naturally to me. I'm not the best at layering, am still to master the skill of artful scarf-tying and am yet to acquire a masterful collection of cosy, ear-warming hats. It is at this time of year I am constantly spying on Londoners to get winter dressing inspiration. And I am also looking a bit closer at celebrities in the colder climes, to get ideas on how to keep warm without looking like a mis-matched marshmallow in a hat.

Some of my favourite looks in recent days have come from the stars pictured above. Read on to find out what each of their outfits has taught me - so we can all incorporate their chic-ness into our own cold weather dressing...

- Take a cue from Kate Hudson and ditch the basic black coat. Instead, choose pale colours for an elegant look which will help lift your dull winter complexion. Greys work well for coats and knits while cream isn't so impractical if you stick to accessories such as hats and scarves. Add a bit of a pinky cream blush to the apples of your cheeks for that perfect cold weather glow.

- Blake Lively shows us how unexpected colour combinations - in this case, her blue coat and mustard boots - can work wonders to inject a bit of cheer and playfulness to an otherwise dull day.

Leather gloves top off the sophisticated look nicely.- Fur, whether faux or not (I'll leave that decision up to you), is one way of adding texture to your outfit - and also keeping veeeeery toasty. I love Jaime Winstone's Russian hat and red lippy which adds that special something to her basic jeans and tee outfit.

- Another one leading the way when it comes to texture is Cat Deeley, whose fantastic cape coat is set off with black accessories. But don't worry, these ones are anything but basic and boring, with tassels on her boots and a lace scarf upping the ante.

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Additions Direct are still shipping in time for Christmas

Hard as it is to believe when Christmas seems so close, there are still a few online stores out there willing to get their wares to you before Christmas if you use express delivery. Additions Direct is one of them, and they caught my eye with this strapless, draped dress, which pays obvious homage to the draped Alexander McQueen dress worn by dozens of celebs last year. This one is a bit shorter, a bit slinkier and (dare I say it) a bit sluttier, but it's yours for £10.50 and will arrive before Christmas if you shop before 4pm today.

Matthew Williamson for less at Yoox.com

All this online window shopping so close to Christmas is not good. It's too late to rewrite my wishlist now, so why am I suddenly discovering amazing things?

Not only do Yoox.com have a really good stock of cut-price Matthew Williamson, they have it in my size. There are loads of pieces on offer, most in larger sizes (when I say 'larger' I mean 12 - 16). Of course, it's all still £300+, but this is the only time of year most of us can dream of that kind of indulgence.

So Santa, if you're listening, this rather lovely one shoulder dress would be fab!

Etsy find: Miss KK's easywear jersey dresses

I continue to be impressed by the amount of great talent that can be found on Etsy, especially where fashion is concerned. I think it's really important to support indie talent, and there are some wonderful up-and-coming designers out there doing interesting things. Get in there and buy a piece before they become too popular! Miss KK takes classic jersey shapes and gives them a touch of extra style with aptly placed frills, tiers and ruffles. Far more exciting than anything you'll find for three times the price on Shopbob or similar, I'm loving the Butterfly dress for $75 and the metallic hand print Angel Wing goddess dress for $75.

Cheap Party Dresses for Christmas - 98, 99 & 100! Your final three!

It's time for all of us to breathe a big sigh of relief, as this post marks the end of the rundown of 100 cheap party dresses for Christmas. If you've still not a) had your party or b) bought the perfect frock, there are 30 posts and 100 dresses for you to choose from in our archive. The final three come from the sales on the high street, meaning you should be able to nab them instore today if you've got a last minute festive bash to attend (or if you just fancy glamming it up on the big day). First up is Warehouse's one-shoulder sequinned number for £35 (down from £90). Then we have Oasis's origami detail tucked bandeau dress down from £80 to £30. Finally, from Julien Macdonald's Star range at Debenhams is a black frilled prom dress down from £80 to £56.

I hope you've enjoyed the rundown, I definitely loved doing it though I think I've now looked at every party dress in existence!

Cheap Party Dresses for Christmas: Teal for two

Still not got that perfect Christmas dress? You're cutting it fine as far as pre-Christmas postage goes, but there is still time. As an antidote to all the black, red and blue we've been seeing recently, here are two teal numbers that'll have you looking gorge for less than fifty quid. First, Reko's pleated bib front dress for £45 at Topshop, which you could layer up over a long sleeved top and tights for a bit of warmth. If you're willing to get your shoulders out, the 'Lizzie' strapless dress with a corsage is £20 at Boohoo. Bargain!

Cheap Party Dresses for Christmas : Back to Black (strapless prom dresses)

Earlier in the Cheap Party dresses rundown, I featured a whole gallery of strapless black numbers. But you can never have too many LBDs in my opinion, so here are two more that definitely make the grade (especially now their prices have been slashed in the sale). They're both from New Look, and start at £20 for the velvet spot dress (very Luella) with the frilly, ruffled prom dress coming in at £35, which is a great deal considering all the detail. Move fast as sizes are already limited. That's what happens with bargains like this!

Lily Allen in Sonia Rykiel: When wearing a dress just because it's designer isn't a good enough excuse...

Reminiscent of that time when Victoria Beckham thought it was acceptable to wear a belted sheet simply because it was by Marc Jacobs, so has Lily Allen displayed the same error in judgement, only with much less finesse. Revealing more than we needed to see, the British songbird stepped out for dinner Wednesday night in this sheer baby pink Sonia Rykiel dress, which left many scratching their heads. Not only was it far too long for her, but it exposed her lacy pants for the world's paps to shoot. Proving that just because its designer, isn't a good enough excuse to try and pull it off, Lily has shown us that a label doesn't necessarily = buy. Thanks for the timely reminder Lils!
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Cheap Party Dresses for Christmas: A bit of extra festive sparkle

How do you make the Harlequin trend even more over the top? How about doing it in sequins? The £39.14 dress on the right is definitely not one for the faint-hearted, but if you've got the legs to pull it off, Christmas is definitely the time. I'd top it with a tuxedo jacket and Miu Miu esque heels. Meanwhile, a little bit more traditional, if equally eyecatching, is the gold ombre sequin dress for £24.46, which would be great with black tights and killer Gucci-style studded sandals. Both dresses are from Quiz Clothing, a new online discovery for me.

Cheap Party Dresses for Christmas - Copy Eva Mendes for less than £10!

Eva Mendes' yellow Bill Blass dress helped her outshine Scarlett Johansson at the premiere of 'The Spirit', but at well over £1000, the dress probably isn't in most people's festive budget. Luckily, ASOS.com have come up trumps with a very similar dress. It might be slightly lighter in colour with frills in different places, but considering it could be winging its way to you this weekend for less than £10, I think it's a fair trade-off. There's free shipping at ASOS this weekend, so get this dress now for £9.79. If the yellow is too much for you, it also comes in a slightly more easy to wear cornflower blue.

What to wear over those strapless party dresses

The response to yesterday's Helen Mirren story about dresses with sleeves got me thinking about the proliferation of strapless and strappy dresses at this time of year, and the ongoing problem of what to wear with them to keep off the chill. Assuming you wear a coat to go in, you'll then need something a bit thinner and more party-like to wear after you've removed it.

While some super-stylish people can make a loose, men's cardigan look amazing over a strapless prom dress, others will need something a bit more appropriate. Luckily there are plenty of shrugs, boleros, capes and cardigans around...

My advice is to stay away from sequinned shrugs, which still reek a little bit of Winter 2006, when Primark sold that gold shrug. Instead look for something a bit more 40s glam, with frills, chiffon or more unusual embellishment, like Dorothy Perkins' gathered chiffon shrug (top left, £20).

If you really want your dress to do the talking, a simple, fitted black shrug (above right, £10.76 from Quiz) will keep your arms and shoulders warm without drawing attention away. You have to be careful what you wear them with (no combats and vest tops - can we all say Steps video?) but they work really well with strapless dresses.

Tuxedo jackets are everywhere this season, but might be a bit too heavy to wear over a dress. Jasper Garvida for Oli Fusion has solved this problem with short-sleeved, bolero version (£39).
Finally, go all out with faux fur or feathers if you're off somewhere really glam. River Island's feather bolero would look brilliant over a bright coloured dress. It's yours for £48.92.

Cheap Party Dresses for Christmas - Miss Selfridge's limited edition frock

If you've still not found your perfect party dress (come on, I've brought you SIXTY!) then feast your eyes on this baby.

It's from Miss Selfridge, and is a special limited edition item that'll only be available on the website from tomorrow (Dec 12th). Only 100 of the £50 dresses will be available, so that dramatically cuts down on potential 'oops, we wore the same outfit' embarrassment.

The colour is also a nice change from all the black, red and blue we're seeing at the moment. It'll look amazing with just about any skintone and hair colour, which is a minor miracle, and the shape is universally flattering (don't shy away from volume if you're curvaceous, you'll be surprised how well it can work).

Cheap Party Dresses for Christmas: No cash for a dress? No need to Boohoo (!)

These three dresses for £20 or less take us up to 60 in the 100 Cheap Party Dresses rundown. Yes, friends, the end is near (ish). To finish up today's bumper edition I have three dresses from Boohoo.com that'll suit even the tightest of budgets. Fifteen squids will get you the one-shouldered green 'Bella' dress, for £20 you can get the black shoulder-detail 'Alyssa' and at only £12 the strapless satin 'Carrie' will see you through the festive season in very thrifty style.
Click here to see all the dresses so far: 1 - 60

Cheap Party Dresses for Christmas: Celebrity inspired frocks

We're over halfway through the cheap party dresses rundown (thank God!) and today I've done something a little special, with a gallery of celebrity-inspired frocks for around £20 - £60. If you fancy getting the look of Gwyneth Paltrow, Megan Fox, Victoria Beckham, Anna Faris, Eliza Dushku or Ashley Tisdale, look no futher than these cheap chic items. Click the image below to view the lot!

Gwyneth's Antonio Berardi dress was a love it or loathe it tabloid fave, but Topshop's alternative is a bit easier to wear. It's also only £30 in the sale.

Megan Fox is a huge fan of hot pink, and has worn variations of this look for the last couple of years. Copy her look and draw attention with River Island's tulip skirted number for £58.71.

Ashley Tisdale wore a crop of frilly, feminine, sparkly confections during the High School Musical promotional tour. This, from Rome, was one of the best, and can be copied on a budget with Miss Selfridge's £35 silver knot dress, some silver flat-back jewels and some super glue. I do love a craft project.

Anna Faris's starring role in The House Bunny meant she was another star doing the promotional rounds in the latter half of the year. Copy her bodycon red dress with another bodycon red dress from Dorothy Perkins for only £20.

If you're heading to a party straight from the office and you really can't change, take a note out of Eliza Dusku's book and try a pencil skirt and blouse...or one of the all-in-one dresses, like Peacocks' high-waisted offering for £20

With the launch of her dress line, Posh has been working the super-fitted, pencil skirted look for loooong time. Copy the frock she wore at the Marc Jacobs fashion show with this Goddiva frock for £55.85.

[CatwalkQueen]

Helen Mirren calls for the return of the sleeved dress

Dame Helen Mirren has put the call-out for sleeves to return to dresses.

The actress is apparently so adamant about the issue, that she is even considering starting her own clothing line.

"Dresses With Sleeves," is what she told the Telegraph she would call her range. "There are no dresses with sleeves and we need to bring back the sleeve: fine, see-through ones, long or short. There are so many wonderful things you can do with sleeves that people used to do, and then they stopped."

I can see her point. Certainly as we grow older, a sleeve is not only practical (hello we are in the UK!) but often, at times, essential. What are your thoughts? Do you agree that there is a lack of sleeved dresses on the high street? Tell us below.

Meet LaDress and their perfectly fitting frocks

Simone van Trojen and I share a simple philosophy. Life is better in a dress. As the creator of LaDress, Simone aims to bring women the perfect does-it-all frock, which judging by the current collection, owes a lot to the legacy of Diane Von Furstenberg. There are three main silhouettes on offer; a button down, knee length dress with a wide collar and long sleeves, a classic wrap with quite a full skirt, and a funkier, shorter tunic with a cinched waist. The dresses are then available in all kinds of fabrics, from polka dot silks to bright coloured crepes, resulting in a much larger collection than you'd imagine...

work out your measurements from the size chart (sizes are from XXS - XXL, which are approx UK 6 -18) and you're done. All the dresses are cut to the same size measurements so once you know your fit, you should be able to order any style in any fabric and be ensured the same fit. Top these with a petticoat or a sash scarf, and you're good to go.

Prices start at £179 for the lycra jersey option, so this is not a bargain brand, but you'll get the benefits of boutique shopping (it's delivered in a handcrafted box, with easy returns) which might sway you a bit? Sadly, I don't think the model's Brigitte Bardot hair and sultry eye makeup come as standard, but I'm desperate to try them out too!

Outfit Pick: Boohoo's budget £5 dress

I suppose we'll all be tightening our belts, both metaphorically and literally if the economy continues to freefall like the papers would have us believe. So, in the spirit of economy I've found a £5 dress from Boohoo to make up a cheap but chic outfit.Teamed with dollar earrings and a pair of quirky sale shoes it proves you don't have to break the bank to look good. Don't bother with pleather on a budget, nylon is much more stylish as the ruche handle bag proves and you can treat yourself to a pair of fancy lace leggings. Top it all off with a cute flower ring and you're laughing all the way to the bank, pub or go forbid, shopping centre.

Denim bubble dress, Boohoo: reduced to £5.

Pagan lace legging, Topshop: £18.

Black ruched bag, Dorothy Perkins: £25.

Elizavella piano charm earrings, Etsy: $1.

Yippeevintage flower ring, Etsy: $8.

Kalgarve lace-ups, Faith: £25.

Outfit pick: J'aime Paris. And tartan.

Tartan and checked items don't automatically mean you have to go punk. A lot of the stuff that's emerging this season is much smarter and more feminine than the mini kilts and skinny trousers you might be used to. River Island's cute little cinch-waist jacket caught my eye for its vintage charm, but I wanted to do something a little bit unexpected...for once there's not a pencil skirt in sight!

Tartan check button jacket £34.99 River Island

Red skinny fit jeans £24.99 Uniqlo

J'aime Paris brooch £8.50 Dolly Dagger

Pure quilted heart lock bag £45 ASOS.com

'Amy' zip front double buckle boots £80 Topshop

Red bow stud earrings £5 Diva at Miss Selfridge