Travel fashion

I'm taking the plane to go to France tomorrow which raised a major fashion issue: what do you wear while traveling?

It's an easy enough question when you are flying first class, have a taxi to drive you to the airport in time, and own a stunning designer luggage to catch the eye, but what about when you are flying with Ryanair?

First the obvious, avoid tight clothing, shoes over 5inches (for obvious reasons) and laced shoes - mostly because with airport security you will have to take them on and off at least five times before boarding.

Airports are curious places, everyone dresses in a particular way while traveling. It's never about tracksuits and comfy - it's a middle-ground fashion, maybe because you want to look good for the person waiting for you at the arrival.

Something warm is also a sound idea, because no matter what they say, once you are hovering at 13 000ft above the ground its freezing cold.

I am opting for comfy military-style ankle boots (I could run a race and win in these), shinny leggings and an oversize woolen jumper.

Now all I will have to do is perfect my on-the-go-make-up skills tomorrow morning if i don't want to be late for the airport shuffle ...

Let's beat the cold with (layers of) statement tights

I am making the bet that all the elaborate hosiery trends are really going to take off next Spring.

Not before, and especially not during the last mile before Christmas.

Knee-high socks might be spared because they are easy to accommodate with any pair of thick leggings, or even jeans.

They are a great way of adding a smudge of colour to a dark winter outfit - and colour lifts the mood.

Fancy print and lace tights however, are in danger of becoming winter-extinct.

Mostly, because they are too thin to protect against the cold.

And unless you work in an Caribbean-beach-like warm office and you have a taxi to shelter you from the frost and wind while traveling from point A to point B, they are often not worth a month with the sniffles.

The way out is to wear them over a pair (or two) of skin coloured tight. Because let's admit it, they look fantastic.

Statement tights however might be the solution

A lot of brands have opaque statement tights: they are thicker which rhymes with warmer.

Opaque also means it is easy to wear another pair underneath, without them having to be paper-thin and skin coloured.

And of course there are all the patent, PVC, shiny or leather imitation leggings.

Even ice-age temperatures cannot stop a girl to show off some leg from underneath woolen trenches.

Leg it up for Winter: Hoisiery trends

After a rainy summer and a even rainier autumn, leg is finally on show.

Mini skirts were the trend for June, July and August but they only had a feeble chance at being seen.

However, Antarctic temperature are not such a bad things for our legs anymore.

Hosiery is set to play a big part in getting the key look for autumn winter.

Leggings and tights are overtaking the high-street: from orange to tartan, with spiderweb prints, retro designs or textures that range from PVC to sequin and leather.

They come in all colours and looks and the Olsen twins are already fan. And they are far from being the only ones.

The trend started on the catwalks with designers trying to give the sock and the tight a new twist.

In terms of accessorising the black, white and grey mini-dresses of the winter, everything goes: bright-coloured knee high socks will brighten up a classic dress, and patterned black tights will add some definition to an otherwise dull outfit.

More about leggings before taking the plunge: