It’s been the year style has been put on ice in favour of track suit pants and slippers. But now it’s time to rediscover your fashion confidence and dip your toe back into something braver. In our Wardrobe Whisperer column, our team will find a solution for every style crisis.

Dear Wardrobe Whisperer, 

I love all the glamour of the sequinned party dresses in the shops at the moment, but I turned 50 this year and have put on nearly a stone (I’m blaming the menopause), so I just don’t feel as if I could carry one off. How can I work the look in a way that’s flattering and age-appropriate? 

– Beverley

Dear Beverley, 

Confidence is everything when putting on your most dazzling (literally) outfit. Sequins are an ageless, sizeless, perennial fashion trend that anyone can wear – but finding something that will make you personally feel good about yourself is essential.

At this time of the year, you can buy a sequinned something from just about any high-street shop, but locating real treasure is an exercise worth spending time on. You want a look that will be loved in your wardrobe for party seasons to come.

I tend to think that you can spot cheap-looking sequins from across a dance floor. Posher paillettes have a certain quality to them: they’re polished, not plasticky, and they don’t shed all over the carpet after just one festive outing.

Any blitz of bling should enhance a well-cut outfit, rather than cover up something poorly made. Avoid the £20 party dresses (which are inevitably all shine and no structure) and instead invest a little more in one grown-up sparkly piece. This is the way to look and feel more sophisticated while losing none of the fun.

How much glitter you wish to apply is entirely up to you. If you want to start with something subtle, try Wyse’s Tilda knit (below), which has a tie-neck that looks as if it has been dipped in silver. Or carry a sequinned accessory, such as Vanina’s evening bag.