BY now I'm sure you have already said bye-bye to your bright summer dresses and strappy heels.

BY now I'm sure you have already said bye-bye to your bright summer dresses and strappy heels.

But does this mean you should put your fashion routine on hold?

"A big No!" says Iko Mash, a leading celebrity stylist.

Mash says the mistake many women make in winter is to try to wear layers of bulky clothing in an effort to keep warm.

"While you might be comfortable, these layers can hide your natural shape, making you look bigger. There are ways to keep warm in the winter without sacrificing your sense of fashion."

Mash says looking good is all about attitude and confidence, not only what you wear. He says if you have confidence you can look sexy in a bin liner.

Here are some tips on how you can look hot and keep just comfortably warm this winter!

Boots

Invest in a pair of knee-length boots. They are a great buy, because you can then get away with wearing a knee-length suede or denim skirt, which would otherwise be virtually impossible in the winter.

Make sure you wear stockings or thigh-length socks (preferably the colour of your boots), since just a skirt might not provide you with adequate protection from the chill.

Shoes

If your budget doesn't allow you to go in for knee-length boots don't fret. Instead, go for closed shoes with pointed toes.

Shoes that end in a point look more formal and fashionable than others and you can wear them with anything to immediately dress up an outfit.

But you might not find these shoes comfortable for daily wear, especially if you have to walk around a lot.

Nothing beats keds for walking and, thankfully, canvas shoes are very fashionable at the moment. So invest in a pair of blue canvas shoes that you can wear with all your jeans.

Coats and jackets

Going shopping for a coat? People often tend to rush in and buy one, only to realise it's too large or too small. While buying a coat, remove all excess clothing, and wear only what you would normally wear under the coat.

Then try it on and button it up the front. Stretch your hands out as if you are driving a car or hug yourself and see if it feels too tight.

If it does you should go in for a bigger size. If you are certain you will never button up the coat, you could go for one size smaller.

What colour?

Though white is a great colour for a jacket since it can look very striking, it will get dirty all too soon and is not very practical.

Similarly, colourful jackets like dusty pink or burgundy look great, but cannot be paired with many outfits.

On the other hand, no matter what you think, you really don't need more than one black jacket.

So it makes sense to first stock up on the basic colours and then slowly build up your wardrobe.

Remember, overcoats and jackets last a long time and through many seasons, so you can afford to buy unusual colours as well since you will wear them often through the years.

After buying a basic black overcoat, opt for a camel's hair coloured jacket that will go great with a black, navy or red turtleneck sweater.

Try and fit a bright, long coat into your wardrobe, like turquoise or even orange. Wear it with basic blacks and blues, and the minute you put it on you will feel a lot brighter and sexier.

l Additional info www.chicadvisor.com