I thought I’d found my bargain of the year-to-date yesterday, but I stand corrected, in the form of this Leona Edmiston dress.

The Buffy Bell Sleeve Leona Edmiston dress is marked down by over 50% to $79 (originally $169), plus you can get an extra 10% discount until Sunday both in-store and online.

To claim your discount online you can use the code JQ5C7M24E, or if you received the offer in an email you can print the email out and take it into a Leona Edmiston store.

I just picked up the dress in red for $71 after the discount - bargain. I really wanted the navy version but it is sold out in my size and apparently going quickly in other sizes too. But red is nice too.

The discount code offer applies until Sunday on all Leona Edmiston sale stock so hurry to get an extra 10% off.

By Caroline Warnes

It may seem the wrong time of the year to be buying a dress with a short hemline and short sleeves, but it can work for a night out if you dress it up right.

I’m quite taken with the green satin dress from Free Fusion at Target, pictured here, which is a steal at $39.99. I have a similar one in blue that cost me somewhere close to $100 some 18 months ago.

If you’re having a night out during the winter months you can still keep warm in a dress like this by teaming it with black opaque tights and a black knit over the top. My trick at the moment is to wear not one, but two pairs of Leona Edmiston Pins on my legs and trust me, you don’t feel the cold at all.

As for shoes, you need a nice black heel or mini-bootie. These Betts peep-toe booties for $119.95 would work.

And don’t forget. When it comes to wearing satin, keep the style loose. Tight satin is a disaster on anyone, unless you are Gisele Bundchen. It tends to show everything and anything.

By Caroline Warnes

Leona Edmiston is having a 30% off everything sale (including her famous dresses) both online and in-store for one day only - and that’s today, so you had better get in quick.

Leona Edmiston dresses are an all-time favourite of mine, both those from her main range (Leona Edmiston Collection) and the less expensive diffusion label (Leona by Leona Edmiston). Then there is her range for kids, her hoisery (also known as Pins - best opaque tights ever) and accessories (sunglasses and handbags).

Yesterday afternoon, when I heard about the sale on Twitter, I was seriously going to buy the Wendy wrap dress in brown, as pictured here. With the discount it comes down to $104.30, plus the site has free shipping, so it really is a bargain.

But I am supposed to be saving money at the moment, so I seriously had to talk myself out of it. It’s so gorgeous though, and would be really versatile for winter, especially paired with black opaque tights and black heels.

To claim your Leona Edmiston discount today, head into your nearest boutique or Myer concession store or use the code CN47CY990 online.

By Caroline Warnes

I am quite taken with this floral tiered skirt from local label Lili.

While the words “floral tiered skirt” usually conjure up images of the mid-to-late 1980s, and I am usually thoroughly anti- anything 80s, for some reason this skirt doesn’t horrify me as it technically should.

In fact, I think it would look really nice for a winter night out with opaque black tights (Leona Edmiston, of course) and the black platform heels that are all the rage right now (such as the Wittner heels here. I own them and yes it was probably a stupid purchase).

The skirt retails for $139. Lili is stocked in Myer and selected boutiques around Australia.

By Caroline Warnes

I must be just about the clumsiest person on the planet because every time I wear tights they ladder on the first wear.

I’ve tried everything from the more expensive department store labels to the el cheapo supermarket brands and it doesn’t seem to matter. By the end of the day without fail I am walking around with a very attractive hole somewhere in my stockings.

As such I’ve been searching for the perfect pair of black opaque tights for years. (On a side note, can I just add one thing? Even though I am no “Sex and the City” fan, I do agree with Carrie Bradshaw about one thing: nude/flesh colours tights should NEVER BE SEEN! Unless you are trying to look like an office manager from 1986.)

Anyway, I was recently in Myer and decided to give the Leona Edmiston Pins range of tights a go. I went for Luxury Opaque in black which is 60 denier therefore far more opaque than the cheaper brands (although this pair only set me back around $20). So far I’ve worn them four times and hallelujah, no holes or ladders. I’m definitely going to stock up on more before the end of winter.

The range also includes Indulgent Sheers and Slimming Pants - check out your local Myer for more.

By Caroline Warnes