Painting it black has reached the pinnacle of chic this season. Its dark wings have swept through just about everybody's wardrobe. But sometimes we need a little more: a little shine, a touch of glitz to put that glimmer back into our sometimes monochrome ensembles.

Lame trend

That is where lamé comes in. It's the ladylike version of bling. It's subtle but strong. This shiny fabric gives a Blondie-esque element of grunge to an otherwise elegant outfit. It an easy way to channel two styles in one look. Daisy Lowe embraces this concept with her delicate frills and fierce folds of lamé in her high-waisted look. Charlize Theron uses a structured metallic blazer to offset her bold skin-tight trousers and sooty eye make-up. And Mischa Barton's dose of lame comes in the style of a cropped jacket: giving her simple outfit an 80s twist.

This is a rebellious trend, and while Vivienne Westwood has based her look 'on rock and roll right from the beginning', it is now your turn. Sophistication doesn't always have to be dainty, so grab your style courage and let lamé lead you to the liberating world of rougher refinement. audreyleighton