The cocktail party had been marked on the calendar for a while. Mid-October and the promise of a balmy evening meant that I had settled on a cute summer dress.

Then something extraordinary happened.

Brisbane turned rainy and cold. In the middle of October. Madness.

I was faced with a sartorial choice.

Shop in a panic for something warm that fits the cocktail dress code. Make something in a rush. Or shop my overflowing wardrobe for something suitable.

Being in a sensible kind of mood, I opted for the latter.

First I looked through my wardrobe for a few key things:

• Longer bottoms with a little evening glitz
• Long sleeved tops
• Jackets with a little bit of sparkle
• Work wear basics that could be easily dressed up

That lead me a few choices:

• A pair of black trousers, a sequined top and a black evening jacket
• A work pencil dress, paired with a gold sequinned jacket
• A ball gown with a jumper and a statement piece of jewellery
• A white button down shirt with tie and long evening skirt

Clearly no need to panic buy or make. Just a little creativity.

I ended up settling on the black trousers – comfortable and funky. And warm.