Slip into the festive spirit with our guide to this season's hottest party dresses. All you need to do is add lashings of glitter, sparkly accessories and hey presto, you are the belle of the ball!

Around this time of year every year, an age-old mystery resurfaces that leaves us asking ourselves why celebrities in Hollywood - who are blessed with warm weather nearly every day - insist on covering up and wearing floor-length gowns to A-list events. And conversely, London's loveliest ladies cling desperately to the summer months by flaunting their legs in miniskirts on the red carpet - when it's absolutely freezing out! We'll never quite understand this enigma - but luckily there are a few fabulous frocks on show today to take our minds off the matter!