We love the high street, we do, but some trends are worth investing in. For this modern romantic interpretation of ruffles, save up for one beautiful piece and we promise you’ll wear it always. For Laura, it’s a black, delicately ruffled Philosophy lace skirt that comes out for anniversary dinners and weddings. That’s her forever piece. If you haven’t found yours yet, get inspired… At Valentino, the ruffles were almost architectural, with a sleek edge. At Louis Vuitton they were layered, breezy and ultra-feminine. Meanwhile, at Giambattista Valli, they were a cascading, flouncy dream.

If, like us, you love a touch of shimmer, this instantly wearable trend is for you. This is not a loud, glitzy sparkle, or full-on glitter. We’ve named it the mermaid tail trend, because it’s that metallic glint that catches your eye before she ducks back under the water. Perfectly polished for Ibiza or a city wedding, draw inspiration from the shimmering transparent discs seen at Bottega Veneta, the glimmering silver sequins layered under dusty pink tulle at Preen, or delicate, metallic polka dots at Valentino. Perhaps what we love best about shimmer is that it offers just the right amount of light-play for an elevated daytime soirée. Update your smartest suit by layering a shimmering slip underneath, tuck a crisp white shirt into a voluminous skirt covered in transparent scales, or opt for a clutch with only the most subtle sparkling embellishment.

Floaty florals are big this season, and they have a 70s feel we love. The key to picking an iconic piece you’ll wear season after season is the cut. Floral prints look best with a statement-making silhouette. Take, for example, Giambattista Valli’s gorgeous, billowy dress, or Dolce & Gabbana’s super-elegant jumpsuit (that’s keeping us up at night). And while head-to-toe florals are perfectly on-point for a spring wedding, they’re too gorgeous to hide away until someone says “I do”. So for now, we’re wearing them for work with a trench coat and saddle bag, and at night with pointy fabric flats and a sparkly clip.

When it comes to black-tie events we love to wear silk, and we’re spoilt for choice this season. Channel 1930s film-star glamour and look for a silhouette with elegant folds, as seen at Alexander Wang. Alternatively Carolina Herrera favoured structure and soft gatherings, and there were ruffles and puffed sleeves at Simone Rocha. We’re quite pragmatic with silk, opting for shoulder coverage or sleeves, because they allow you to wear a bra and shapewear, the latter of which ensures the satin or silk flows smoothly over your body. One of the reasons we love a silk dress is that it makes you look instantly elegant, so you only need add shoes and a simple bag. Saying that, we often opt for a smudged red lip, too – just to give this fancy-feeling fabric a little edge.

The runways aren’t always sympathetic to the practical requirements of being female, like needing to wear a bra. A proper one. With thick straps. We love this season’s super-chic square neckline for this exact reason. It’s a grown-up, sophisticated style that can look quite demure, and yet still shows off your décolletage. Ideal for a town wedding or city occasion, this is a versatile silhouette with staying power. It works well as matching separates, seen at Cushnie et Ochs; a statement dress in a bold, block colour, shown by Carolina Herrera; or a long-sleeved, sheer floral maxi like the one we all fell in love with at Rodarte.

If your wardrobe is a little heavy on the denim, black and grey after a long, cold winter, embrace this season’s ice-cream pastels. Ranging from mint green to dusty pink and sorbet lemon, the trick here is finding the hue that works for you. As a general guide, soft pinks suit fair complexions, lilac looks great if you have medium-toned skin, while deeper skin tones suit lemon and tangerine shades. And while this season, Monique Lhuillier, Rodarte and No. 21 all showed gorgeously feminine dresses worthy of your next black-tie event, you can also start slow with a skirt or a pair of earrings in your favourite shade.

We celebrate a realistic approach to dressing at Wardrobe ICONS, but sometimes a trend comes along that we just fall in love with – and this season it’s sheer fabrics. From Ulla Johnson’s delicately floral tiered dress to Dior’s embroidered tulle maxi, we are obsessed. The fact that all this transparency results in your undies and bra being seen is not lost on us. To pull off this trend, opt for vintage-inspired, full-coverage, high-waisted knickers and a modest bra – these pared-back undergarments reign in the overt sexiness of a barely-there dress. And as for where we’ll be having our sheer moment? We’re holding out for a bustling, dimly-lit cocktail party.

If dresses aren’t for you and you prefer to stick to separates we always sing the praises of a statement skirt and the importance of having one in your wardrobe. They take the hard work out of getting dressed for an event. Simply add a featherweight cashmere cardigan or satin slip and you’re good to go. And they’re versatile, too, as you can simply transform the skirt each season with a slightly different top or shoe choice. For us, it’s also the perfect way to embrace trends we love but style them in our own way. Some skirts that caught our eye this season: a gently shimmering midi-length one at No. 21, a layered, floral number at Erdem, and gorgeously sheer, tiered skirts at Ulla Johnson.