It’s Christmas! Summer, or whatever you want to call it, is officially over and we’re ready to embrace the fabulous British winter wonderland in style.

Put the traditional survival must-haves aside, padded bomber jackets, slipper-like fluffy boots (you know the ones I’m talking about) and give 2012 a fabulously fashionable send off.

There’s no need to splash out when the season changes, however tempting. Instead, select some wardrobe staples that can transform your existing daytime office look into the out-of-hours hottie you really are.

So, it’s the season to be jolly they reckon, and we know what that means… drinks! Suddenly our calendar is chocca and we’re out every night. We’ve got our work’s party, department party, old work’s party, neighbour’s party, close friends’ party, friends-you-only-see-once-a-year party. But what do we wear?

Skinny jeans and a tee won’t do, and you can’t turn up at work in that sparkly number you bought in last year’s January sales but still haven’t worn. You need something fairly basic that can pull off a two-hour long meeting with the heads followed by a night-long drinking sesh in an underground bar full of sickeningly cool people.

Solution? A bib. No kidding, they first introduced themselves a couple of years a go, and have trickled into a select few shops and are the answer to everything, almost. Bibs are hugely enticing oversized statement necklaces, the more OTT, the better! Metal, beads, material, crystals, sequins you name it, it works. The beauty of the bib is that it can undoubtedly transform any outfit into a head-turning get up.

Pink H&M bib

Michael Kors statement gold and black bib

Monki cutting edge silver bib

Urban Outfitters spike mixed bib

So, once you’ve stocked up on bibs, in my opinion just one bib option doesn’t cut it, you can now reconsider that tee and jean combo you earlier dismissed. We’re getting there… but not quite. Next up, a jacket.

It’s December and it’s cold, coat up. Think sparkle and invest in one of the Chanel-inspired tweed fitted jackets with a shiny thread. They’re beyond fabulous, go for a crème or black colour, sharp shoulders, not too long – yet not too cropped. Team this with your tee, bib and skinnies and you’re almost Queen B.

Boohoo trim tweed jacket

Topshop white cropped tweed

Of course, most of London’s career gals do the trainer-heel combo, you know sensible bouncy trainers to march to and from the tube station and a ridiculously high pair of black shiny heels under the desk to wear to important meetings. It’s time to ditch the spangly stilettos, which were stupidly expensive and painfully uncomfortable, and opt for a pair of heeled booties. There are so many to choose from, any colour goes, so long as they’re ankle boots with a chunky heel. If you’re after any kind of street cred stay well clear of spiky heels, pointy toes and for the love of God, NO kitten heels!

Aldo animal-print detail heel

Mango bronze contrast heel boots

New Look stud heel boots

So we have the outfit sorted, next up the face, and hair. For the face, important rules:

• Lose the scousebrow: it’s a funny term that has come from an unsuccessful reality TV show – it shouldn’t be anywhere near your face.

• A little bronzer: orange is for umper lumpers, David Dickinson and Christopher Maloney – ha, that worked, ditch the fake tan unless it’s subtle or you live in Essex.

• Lipstick: I’m sorry, but lipstick is for lips. Some are blessed with luscious ones and others not. And there’s nothing worse that some bold garish red lippy plastered across a thin top lip. If you possess the later, it’s not so bad, just opt for a less in-your-face shade and go for a more neutral colour to emphasise your lips, not to emphasise the fact you don’t really have lips. If on the other hand you are lippy, awesome for you, check out red, fuchsia or coral and make sure you tissue-dab after applying to even the tone.

• Eyes: they’re all different, and there’s nothing better to transform your day-to-night look than the smoky effect. Sets are available from every decent make-up brand and they’re pretty simple to follow. Make sure you pop some prima on first, followed by a thin, slightly smudged line of black or dark grey eye-liner with a little flick at the end and blend with some dark grey shadow – again subtlety is key here, noone wears eyeshadow up to there eyebrows anymore. Finish with lashings of black mascara, this is the one thing you can go to town on, along with the bibs, cake it on your top lashes and a little on your bottom.

Now for the hair, it’s a difficult one as some have thin and fly-away and others work the ‘fro, but a quick option would be some dust-it, dry shampoo and hair spray. After applying your make-up, tip your head upside down, ruffle your hair, from scalp to ends and hairspray with your head still upside down to keep the volume. Tip it back, pat down/tame a little and add some dry shampoo to your routes, followed by a pinch of dust-it, again to the roots, ruffle slightly and another blast of hair spray – from a distance.

There you have it, you’ve gone from office bitch to Dalston diva in no time!