Fashion: For the evening, just add a little bling

Oct 23 2008 by Laura Davis, Liverpool Daily Post

Laura Davis sings the praises of every stylish woman’s best friend

TROUSERS are becoming as much of an endangered species as the crowned solitary eagle and the spotted hyena.

Left: Coast dress, £35 (RRP £115); All Saints coat, £78 (RRP £195); Oak Smithfield Mulberry handbag, £556 (RRP £795); Lunar pave necklace, £8,750, and bangle, £12,450. Right: Oasis dress, £38 (RRP £55); Dune shoes, £42.50 (RRP £70); Compass pendant, £2,450, and earrings £2,695

But, unlike the sad demise of precious wildlife, this is cause for celebration – never before have we had such a choice of dresses.

Left: Coast dress, £65 (RRP £115); Bayswater off- white Mulberry handbag, £416 (RRP £595); Dune shoes, £38 (RRP £75); Oasis tights, £3 (RRP £6); Klimt black onyx diamond pendant, £3,950, and earrings, £2,790. All jewellery by David M Robinson. Right: Coast dress, £45 (RRP £95); All Saints coast, £90 (RRP £160), Dune boots, £50 (RRP £110); Somerset Tote Mulberry handbag, £276

The day dress is a particularly great invention, as it can be worn to look smart in the office, paired with a cardigan, and accessorised with a bit of bling for evening if you don’t have time to go home in between.

Right: Oasis dress, £30 (RRP £50); Dune clutch, £27.50 (RRP £55); Symphony diamond pendant, £22,950, bangle, £32,950, and diamond earrings, £11,450

THE Living Room, in Chester, is the back-drop for this week’s fashion shoot.

Set over three floors, incorporating a stand-alone restaurant (The Dining Room) and a non-fee private members bar (The Study).

The restaurant serves robust and stylish food with its origins firmly in the European tradition.

Fashion notes

Right: Coat, £125 (RRP £250), skirt, £40 (RRP £80), jumper, £40 (RRP £65), all by Ted Baker; Dune bootees, £77 (RRP £110); hat, £20 (RRP £30), handbag, £30 (RRP £60), from Oasis; Klimt chalcedony and sapphire earrings, £3,895

Location: The Living Room, 13, St Werburgh Street, Chester, www.livingroom.co.uk

Model: Kimberley Jones, of Impact Models, www.impactmodelsagency.co.uk

Photographer: Paul Heaps

Hair and make-up: Mel Goodheart at Andrew Collinge, 61, Northgate Street, Chester, 01244 318818

Stockists: Cheshire Oaks, Kinsey Road, Ellesmere Port, www.cheshireoaksdesigneroutlet.com; David M Robinson, 6, St Michael’s Square, Chester, www.davidmrobinson.co.uk

lauradavis@dailypost.co.uk