Sometimes, all you need is a ‘going out’ top, according to our fashion director

I’m heading out-out on Saturday night for dinner and drinks with the girls. Naturally, this week, I’ve been thinking about what I’m going to wear. After rummaging through my wardrobe, I came to the conclusion I needed a whole new outfit. So, after work, I traipsed up and down Oxford Street and Regent Street, zigzagging between Christmas shoppers and tourists, desperately looking for a new dress, but it wasn’t until I was in Anthropologie and spotted the most breathtaking ruffle blouse that I realised: all I really need is a fancy top. I don’t need to splurge on an entirely new outfit.

In my opinion, the humble ‘going out’ top is often overlooked and overshadowed by the party dress. When you’re sat for hours at a table in a pub, restaurant or at your friend’s dinner table, a statement top is the only thing people will notice. Who’s going to see your twinkly shoes, tulle skirt or your sequin trousers hidden away under the table? No one! During Covid, I talked a lot about ‘top half’ dressing for Zoom calls, but it still stands today. Why pay lots of money for a dress when people only see the neckline and sleeves?

Also, cost-per-wear, you’re more likely to rewear a party top more times than you are a dress, as it’s much easier to restyle and dial down the drama with more casual items. A wow-factor top, shirt or blouse, no matter how glitzy, can be worn with tailored trousers for the office, with jeans for off-duty or relaxed nights out, with a leather skirt or beneath a blazer…honestly, the styling opportunities are endless.

If, like me, you err on the lazy side when it comes to getting dressed up, a ‘going out’ top is your quick fix, and with the cost-of-living crisis a worry for most, lots of high-street brands have put extra effort into their party tops and bottoms this year – Christmas 2024 is set to be a cracker of a season for party separates.

Forget black-tie gowns or cocktail frocks, the best investment you can make for party season this winter is a good top. Striking a balance between effortless and elegant, these are the tops you need when you want to dress up, but not too much. Here’s my top 10 ‘going out-out’ tops you can buy now. Jeans and black trousers, you’re in a for a treat…