Held to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its Grafton Street store, Marks and Spencer's winter fashion show last night highlighted the much-lauded styling turnaround under Kate Bostok, head of womenswear.
Welcome improvements are in areas such as knitwear, jackets and most notably dresses, which have cleaner, more modern lines.
A black self-stripe city suit and a vibrant emerald-green print shift for €118 and €113 were good winter buys. A jumper dress in red, grey or black - best worn a size bigger on its own or with jeans - was another winner, while a tailored drop-waisted wool sheath was the perfect foil for a bold chartreuse jacket.
Staged on the marble staircase of the shop, the show was all about slick city wear and sophisticated urban dressing with an equestrian edge stressing "heritage and tradition".
There was a certain strict elegance in the 1950s-style, three-hole dresses and belted jackets in nutty textures. Grey is the season's biggest colour and the show excelled in slim, slouchy, grey tunic knits and shapely coats. Many items looked twice their price. Cream cashmere cable-knits looked like expensive Ralph Lauren numbers and, worn with brown corduroy jackets, had a touch of luxury.
Scene-stealers included a classy check cropped trenchcoat, a red-and-black houndstooth jacket and a prim white double-button coat. Even the models were making a beeline for the cream jackets with big Marc Jacobs-style buttons.
The weak points continue to be some of the footwear: quality always comes at a cost.
