Scarlet woman
This fiery colour is always hot and it's the perfect way to inject some life into your wardrobe.
"Red is a fabulous colour for the party season as it oozes glamour, particularly when worn in luxurious fabrics such as silk, satin or velvet," says Fiona Wellins at Colour Me Beautiful.
"If you want to make an entrance then red is absolutely the colour to do it in. The key is to make sure you pick the right shade of red for you."
Ravish in red during the party season
Glamour girl
If you're bored of the LBD, or sick of shimmering metallics, then red is the way to wow at parties. Not one for wallflowers, it's ideal for those who don't want to blend into the party crowd.
Fiona says: "Red's a great colour for making you feel energised, so if you weren't in a party mood beforehand, you will be once you've got your outfit on.
"If you're attending the glamour event of the season then dazzle them in your best red and you're sure to be the belle of the ball."
For the best in look-at-me red party dresses look to ASOS's satin bow shift dress, £35, Matalan's red chiffon belted dress, £18, Great Plains' red chiffon dress, £60, or River Island's tulip bandeau dress £44.99.
Wallis's red twist-neck jersey dress, £40, or Miss Selfridge's red print t-shirt dress, £40 will take you from office to dancefloor in an instant - just add heels.
Everyday red
Top-to-toe block colour may be a big trend this season, but in red, you're always running the risk of looking a tad tomato-esque. Instead, inject some scarlet into your everyday ensembles and warm up your casual winter wardrobe.
If you're mad keen on black, then introducing red to the mix will add sex appeal to your outfits. Whatever you do, don't make the seasonal mistake of adding green or white accessories, or you may end up looking like one of Santa's helpers!
For red winter coats, try Topshop's red hooded coat, £65, Principles' red double-breasted coat, £75, or Primark's red three-button Forties style coat, £25.
Snuggle up in versatile knit dresses to give some vamp-factor to your daywear. Check out Debenhams Rocha, John Rocha limited edition red knit dress, £55 or Monsoon's kitten red jumper dress, £55. Go for coloured jeans like Next's red skinny jeans, £30, and add rock star credentials to your closet.
Revel in red accessories
If red is just too OTT for your tastes, add flashes of the colour with sassy accessories. Red shoes worked for Dorothy, so get those heels clicking in Debenhams J Jeans by Jasper Conran shoes, £40 or Faith's Donna red metallic suede sandal, £50.
Coloured tights are a cheap and cheerful way of completely refreshing your red look. Go for Freemans Jonathan Aston scarlet tights, £7.
Give your shoulder a mini red makeover with Jane Shilton's red Stamford bag, £195, Billy Bag's Celia, £85, or Dorothy Perkins' red patent bag £25. Work that waist with a curve-enhancing belt, like Dolly Dagger's red cinch belt, £10, or ASOS's red snake trim elastic belt, £9.
The right red
Still worried about pulling off red with aplomb? Fiona Wellins has this advice for choosing the right shade for you: "When choosing your reds, take into consideration your hair and skin tone and decide whether you should be looking for yellow-based reds or blue-based reds," she says.
"Yellow-based reds will be shades like tomato or orange-red and these will suit colourings with warmer tones - redheads, softer blondes and brunettes with warm undertones in their complexion. Blue-based reds, such as scarlet or blue-red, suit pinker complexions, grey or ash tones in the hair and lighter blondes and brunettes with cooler skin tones."
If you're going red, it's also wise to rev up your beauty routines accordingly.
"When wearing red, consider the tone of your lipstick," Fiona advises. "Your make-up should balance with your outfit and your lip colour should be in the same tone of red. If you are wearing a scarlet dress, for example, you don't want to pick a lipstick in a warm watermelon."
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- Freemans
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