Hot stuff: An essential guide to this season's trends and buys

Petal power: Winter florals are the grown-up siblings of summer blooms. Hardy and elegant, wear them from head-to-toe. Jacket £70, trousers £50, blouse £45, warehouse.com

Master at work: Filled with photographs, mementoes and unseen gowns from the archive, this exhibition looks back at the 50-year career of a maestro. Valentino: Master of Couture, at Somerset House from 29 November

Dip dye is dead: Follow Peter Jensen's lead and chop and change your 'do like a chameleon – without risking the ire of your stylist. Go forth and fake it with a wig.

Imperial leather: Call it the 50 Shades effect if you really must – this season, leather is as much of a wardrobe staple as cotton or denim. £75, asos.com

The gloves are off: Forget paint strokes and pretty patterns, this season nail art goes 3-D. Sculpted spikes, thorns and filigree fibres were used at Mugler to enhance the other-worldly atmosphere.

Put the boot in: At Givenchy, Riccardo Tisci's gaiter-inspired knee-high boots had the fashion pack gasping. And the £1,300 price tag didn't stop it selling out. Thankfully, Zara has a less painful-on-the-pocket version. £89.99, zara.com

Go gothic: A dark romance is seeping its way into the collections. The glamorous Goth goes all out for gilded spikes, skulls and glittering crosses, as this necklace demonstrates. £30, Maria Francesca Pepe X UO, urbanoutfitters.co.uk

Past perfect: A new series of books from expert Paula Reed charts the pivotal societal and sartorial developments of the Fifties, Sixties and Seventies, providing a deeper understanding of the way we wear now. 'Fifty Fashion Looks', available in October

Man, I feel like a woman: Masculine dressing returns to favour, and this time around the tomboys are all grown up. A chance to play with proportions: experiment with oversized coats, slim silhouettes and trimly-tailored separates until you find the equilibrium. Coat £350, knit £95, trousers £110, shoes £110, reiss.co.uk

Lady Diana: A true style renegade, the fashionable life of legendary Bazaar and American Vogue editor Diana Vreeland is explored in this must-see documentary. The Eye Has to Travel, in selected cinemas now.

Check yourself: Tartan, plaid, and tweed tick all the right boxes on skirts, shirts and suits this season. Keep your silhouette sleek and modern, though – this isn't a period piece. £22, riverisland.com

Baroque & roll: Quite literally this season, with this suitcase (£99.99), part of the fabulously bonkers – and perfectly timed –OTT accessories collection from street style favourite Anna Dello Russo's collaboration with H&M. Expect snaking queues on a high street near you on 4 October.

Make-up mecca: Liver birds rejoice, as a one-stop beauty shop from Harvey Nichols is soon to open in Liverpool One.

Woodland creatures: A stag's head may now be a home deco cliché but on accessories it remains cute enough to be kooky, while its furry friends roam free all over the collections. £32, accessorize.com

Horse play: The French have long taught us the art of the boudoir, now Paris's Crazy Horse cabaret takes a field trip to London's South Bank. Are you taking notes? Until 16 December, forevercrazy.co.uk

Purple reign: Paint your face with the season's mellow fruitfulness – without the need to go foraging. Lipstick in Forbidden Apple £19.50, eye palette in Violet Underground £40, esteelauder.co.uk

Use your loaf: Big and clumpy or super-sleek and small-heeled, loafers are the mannish shoe to be seen in right now. Click your heels with glee. £180, kurtgeiger.com

Faking it: If you're going to fake it – and when it comes to fur can you do anything but? – why not go for the full-on faux effect with a cosy coat steeped in this season's bright or berry shades. £95, missselfridge.co.uk

Poetry in motion: Tim Walker turns "daydreams into photographs" for Vogue, W and Vanity Fair – now they've been turned into a coffee-table book. £45, available from October

Form a McQ: McQ, Alexander McQueen's second line opens its first store – the Victorian influenced collection dazzles alongside hi-tech gadgetry to make your shopping experience complete.