Ready to wear: In the lines of vision

Pinstripe is a real classic, which may be another word for boring in some instances, but not this one. A tailored pinstripe coat-dress is one of the sexiest things a woman can wear - forget all that obvious stockings stuff. Although the general silhouette this season has a harder edge (Eighties, shoulder pads), you don't have to go mad with it. In the Eighties, wearing a basque or coloured bra under a pinstripe suit was a popular thing to do (supposed to be sexy, mixing underwear with "office" gear). I fear this is coming back, which is a shame because I always thought it was a particularly nasty habit. High heels are the thing to wear with your pinstripe suit, but avoid shirts and ties as that would be ridiculous. Pinstripe - especially when the base colour is black - can look spectacularly cheap, so watch out. I'd go for a very dark grey base, much classier.

Top: beige sleeveless polo-neck sweater (sizes 8-18), pounds 178, Sportmax, grey flannel pinstripe trousers (sizes 8-18), pounds 140, Maxmara, both from Sportmax, 32 Sloane Street, London SW1. Enquiries: 0171 287 3434. Tan leather lace-ups (sizes 35-40.5), pounds 138, Fratelli Rosetti, 177 New Bond Street, London W1. Enquiries: 0171 491 7066

Above: grey pinstripe three-quarter-length jacket (sizes 8-16), pounds 499, Nicole Farhi, 158 New Bond Street, London W1, and Harvey Nichols, Leeds. Enquiries: 0171 499 8368. Black stretch leather boots (sizes 36-41), pounds 375, Gina, 189 Sloane Street, London SW1. Enquiries: 0171 235 2932

Top left: black fine-knit sweater (sizes 8-14), pounds 350, Byblos, Harrods, Knightsbridge, London SW1, 0171 730 1234. Black pinstripe trousers (sizes 8-14), pounds 210, Marc Cain, 28 Bond Street, London W1, and Solo, 181 Hyndlend Road, Glasgow, 0141 357 2334. Enquiries: 0171 637 4142

Centre left: black pinstripe jacket (sizes 10-18), pounds 50, skirt pounds 20, nude underwired camisole (sizes 34a-38d), pounds 12, all Dorothy Perkins, West One Shopping Centre, 379 Oxford Street, London W1, and Unit 6/7, The Fort Shopping Centre, Birmingham. Enquiries: 0171 291 2604

Left: black pinstripe jacket (sizes 8-14), pounds 230, and matching trousers, pounds 75, Pied a Terre, 102 High Street, London W8, and 58 Kings Street, Manchester. Enquiries: 0171 376 0296. Snakeskin stilettoes with chrome heel (sizes 36-40), pounds 155, Russell and Bromley, 24-25 New Bond Street. Enquiries: 0171 629 6903. Black silk camisole (sizes 8-14), pounds 79, Elspeth Gibson, Liberty, Regent Street, London W1. Enquiries: 0171 734 1234

Photographs by JANINE WILKS assisted by SARAH GREENWOOD Styled by ZOE BROWN assisted by KELLY SAVILL Hair and make-up CHARLIE PICHON using AVEDA Model: ELENOR PEER at SELECT