5 WAYS TO WEAR: RED

Traditionally, bright red is what movie stars put on their pouts, but this autumn it's playing a rather more useful role: giving the season's palette of greys and neutrals a lift. Like all strong colours, it's perhaps most effective in small doses - a hat, a pair of shoes, or the brilliant flash of tights worn under an understated grey slit skirt. Let the sparks fly

Clockwise from top left: shirt-dress, pounds 80, by YMC, from Pellicano, 53 South Molton Street, London W1 (enq: 0171 251 8861); grey skirt, pounds 169, by Nicole Farhi, 158 New Bond Street, W1 (enq: 0171 499 8368); black pumps, pounds 80, by Ravel, 184-188 Oxford Street, W1, and branches nationwide (enq: 0171 436 3126). Leather hat, pounds 80, by YMC, as before; beige dress, pounds 310, by Max Mara, 32 Sloane Street, SW1 (enq: 0171 287 3434). Red tights, pounds 4, by Aristoc, from department stores nationwide (enq: 01773 525 520); grey skirt, pounds 46, by Jigsaw, 126-127 New Bond Street, W1, and branches nationwide (enq: 0171 491 4484); grey shirt, pounds 35, by Warehouse, 19-21 Argyll Street, W1, and branches nationwide (enq: 0171 278 3491); black pumps, pounds 80, by Ravel, as before. Red polo-neck jumper, pounds 49.95, by Jigsaw, as before; satin skirt, pounds 35, by Warehouse, as before; tweed shoes, pounds 40, by Ravel, as before. Red leather Mary Jane shoes, pounds 45, by Ravel, as before

PHOTOGRAPHS BY TOM CORBETT / STYLING BY HOLLY WOOD / HAIR AND MAKE-UP BY SOPHIE TEANBY USING COSMETICS A LA CARTE / MODEL: ASHLEY AT SELECT