Women in black

When the celebrities stepped out for the Versace gala at the V&A earlier this week, it was their eyecatching dresses which really set the flashbulbs popping.

But if it's style and subtlety you're after, rather than attentionseeking frocks, then black lace is evidently the answer.

When the great and the good have needed to dress to impress on both sides of the Atlantic in recent weeks, there has been one thing they have all opted for - black lace.

Everyone from Hollywood queen Christina Ricci to rock chick Leah Wood has opted for the sophisticated look of the fabric, either keeping it simple - with just a little hint of the material peeping through - or going the whole hog, like doyenne of fashion Donatella Versace, who recently stepped out in a stunning floor-length black-lace gown.

Following on from the gipsy flamenco look that was everywhere this summer, wisps of black lace appear to be the answer this winter. But quite how the stars can stand it in the freezing cold, one can only hazard a guess.