I see the Christmas lights have gone up in town, a tad early, I think, but hey, its nearly December and its definitely nearer party season. Which is a perfect reason to have an early think about party wear.

We've had a good few years of 'belt tightening' to give it a polite name and 'frugal living' in human speak so it is definitely time to throw off the humdrum and shimmy into something sexy, slinky and sophisticated.

With the well known restaurants in town being joined by a new venture in The Townhouse, cocktails are the drink de jour and being grownup the new rules.

Dress wise, this means sophisticated flowing lines with not too much bare flesh on display – if you are going to sip the perfect martini then do it with flair! A stylish cocktail dress or evening gown can be complimented by carefully coordinated wraps and accessories and can last you through the party season.

So where are the evening gowns, the cocktail dresses your wardrobe needs to complete this look? A great place to look is Jems Dress Agency on Oswald Road.

I met with Julie, the owner, last week and she took me through the rails of beautiful clothes in her boutique. Julie has a few rules, strictly adhered to – nothing over five years old – unless it is a high quality, timeless classic; many of the clothes in Jems maybe at the max one or two seasons, some having been worn once only.

As well as the more formal evening wear, there is a host of rather hot slinky silk, satin and taffeta numbers in lovely champagne gold or dark mysterious teal. Of course, should your choice be black, then any number of options open up – from sharp tuxedo style to figure hugging fishtail gowns.

Julie has a real, and rare, talent for matching you to the clothes that flatter you most, and then tying it all up with the right shoes and jewelery. Choosing clothes at Jems is like being in a giant, wonderful, wardrobe with the best of personal shoppers.

Anything you would wear to a cocktail lounge or sophisticated dinner party would also work beautifully with winter weddings, Winterval family days and hotel and restaurant Christmas Day Events.

So glitter beautifully this festive season.