Money can't buy you elegance. Following the rules can, says Ethel Da Costa

1 Know Yourself. Then Get Dressed
It is rare when a woman really understands what looks best on her, and what does not. Rarer still, is the woman who keeps pace with the changes in her circumstances, without morphing into an overdone clotheshorse. Rule number one: Look in the mirror. Think. Repeat as necessary.

2 Make Fit The Focus, Not Quality
No matter what the glossies tell you, the right cut reigns supreme. Always. So, ask around for a good tailor. If his name gets mentioned twice in your party circuit, run to this man!

3 A Cheap Dress Fits Nobody
Ok, so quality matters too, because cheap won't last you long. Get the best dress you can afford, even if you can't quite afford it. You'll always reach for the same two or three numbers that draw wolf whistles every time you sashay in it.

4 Groom, Groom, Groom!
Chip, file, wax, buff. Take a second look, buff again. A woman must, mean MUST always have perfectly turned neat hands and feet. Chipped nails, peeling nail polish and dirty feet are hugely, grossly, and unforgivably ugh!

5 Comfort First
Ok, so you paid a bomb for a YSL bustier but at the end of the day, you want to look and feel comfortable, right? Pants that you can't breathe in and shoes you can't walk in, ain't doing your image any favours.

6 One Pair Of Top Quality Shoes A good classic leather shoe, rotated throughout the year, should last for five years or more. To break them in blister free: Wear them for brief, gradually increasing periods, removing them as soon as they begin to bother you.

7 Check War Paint
Red may be hot, but perhaps not on your cheeks! Technique is in so learn how to enhance your features with the right make-up. Tarts died with the Carnival.

8 Two Rings, One Wristwatch...
Okay, you can add tiny chains around your throat, a cute thin bracelet on your wrist, a generous splash of Chanel 5 (don't forget a dap down the cleavage) to heighten a sense of mysterious drama around your aura.

9 Wear Confidence With Grace
Think Grace Kelly, Jackie Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn. The world loved these women for their immense sense of style, supreme grace and a quiet intelligence that made them icons of femininity. Cultivate your own style statement. And be consistent with what is you.

10 And Despite What Moses Said, Laws Were Made To Be Broken
When you're ready, you'll know. Cheers.

Nina Manuel's Fashion Mantras!
• A little Black Dress. It can always save the day.
• Be sure to check the weather before you wear something summery in winter.
• Comfort is of importance.
• Be bold, be different, and be unique.
• Try to mix colours. Black does not always have to go with white.
• Green can go with yellow and red can go with grey.
• A well-worn hat or scarf can perfectly complement jeans or even a short skirt.
• 'It never hurts to get a second opinion' is the seventh law of dressing.

Wardrobe Warblings By Designer Puja Nayyar
This summer, shapes, silhouettes and fabrics take over heavy embellishment. Clean, thought-about and well-finished garments rather than in-your-face styles with cliché embroidery.
• Try vintage printed cottons, polka dots, graphics, florals and striped pants instead of checks.
• Go for '50s knee-length dresses with interesting details over those fit and flare denims with broad belts i.e. 'Zinta' instead of 'Kareena'.
• And if you are a denim freak, use avant-garde styling for washed denim.
• Throw in stylish backpacks instead of sling bags; very unpredictable, very runway.
• Asymmetric haircuts are very glam!
• Goan dusky skin works better than a fair and lovely, bleached and made-up look.