Fashion: Dark nights in satin

As the nights draw in, now is the time to think about evening wear. There are lots of slender satin slip-dresses around this autum, made for languishing in darkly-lit, smoke-filled rooms; a hint of Thirties Paris in their self-indulgent decadence. This is the other side of evening wear - glitz, gloss and sparkle replaced by rust and pewter satin, chinese embroidery, garnets and black lace. Dark-rimmed smoky eyes are back; if you don't have dark rings around your eyes already (easily acquired by several fashionably debauched nights), fake it with layers of dark-grey eye shadow against a chalky-white complexion. Very pale and very interesting. One more Gauloise and your voice will break into a low, hoarse whisper. The secret is a little mystery - clothes that look as though they are from another time, another place.

(Photograph omitted)