This year's summer fashion line-up gives those heading out to pre-Christmas and New Year parties the chance to sparkle and shine so vibrantly as to even nudge the decorations from centre stage.

No, it's not about tinsel and baubles or dressing up exactly like the Christmas tree - that could be catastrophic - but rather taking advantage of the fabulous contemporary fashion fabrics that give a whole new meaning to metal.

Tone-on-tone printed metallics are a winner; but don't forget the opulently beaded silks and sequinned garments or the colourful prints tricked with sequins and diamantes. Some velvets, too, are finished with, a silvery sheen. All cause a spark.

In the recent autumn/winter shows in New York, Paris, Milan and London many notables of the fashion design fraternity pushed metallics down the runway in a swathe of styles including gorgeous gowns, dresses, skirts, jackets, tops and trousers.

Givenchy, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Ferragamo, Herve Leger, Luca Luca and Elie Tahari were among the international design heavies that turned on the gleam and the glam.

The many forms of metallics include silvers, golds and gunmetal greys. While some finishes resemble liquid metal, others take on the look of a dark iridescent night sky. They gleam and shimmer; they're sharp, sophisticated, showy.