Start off the new year in style

You’ve got the dress, the shoes and the bag, now all you need to complete your party season ensemble is a little something sparkly.

While fashion has gone to the max this season with crushed velvet, shimmering materials and embroidery galore, in the jewellery department, it’s all feeling decidedly more minimalist.

And with good reason. The key to acing your accessorisation is not to compete with your festive frock, but to complement it with a carefully chosen cuff or understated choker.

These are the simple but stunning pieces that will take your party look to the next level…

Who would have thought a Nineties staple, long considered passe, would make such a comeback 20 years later?

With one sold every nine seconds at New Look, the choker has been the undisputed necklace of 2016, and it’s the only acceptable accessory if your party dress is of the silky slip variety.

The rest is up to you. Skinny or wide, plain or embellished, velvet or leather – as long as it sits high on your neck, you’re good to go.

Marks & Spencer Limited Edition Star Choker Necklace, £15. Buy it here.

River Island Black Sparkle Chain Choker, £16.

New Look Burgundy Velvet Lace Up Ribbon Choker, currently reduced to £5.99 from £7.99

Heavily embroidered and decorative fabrics call for something sleek and unfussy, and a cuff bracelet fits the bill perfectly.

Les Georgettes, a French brand that’s just arrived on our shores, lets you choose from gold, silver or rose gold bangles in a variety of widths and designs, plus you can select a reversible leather insert so you can find the perfect colour combination for your outfit.

If you’re opting for a classic black tux, push up the sleeves to show off a hammered gold cuff.

Les Georgettes Ruban Gold Plated Bracelet, £79, and Reversible Leather Insert, £15, Bonds Jewellers (www.bondsjewellers.co.uk)

OMV by Madina Visconti The Rocket Bracelet, £484 (www.osannavisconti.it)

Hobbs Freya Gold Cuff, £19. Buy it here.

Forget dangly chandeliers, the coolest earrings this season start at the bottom and work their way up.

Gravity-defying ear ‘crawlers’ extend up the earlobe (but don’t require any extra piercings), while ear cuffs hook over the top of your ear – both look beautiful if you’re sweeping your hair into an updo.

Largentolab Solid Gold Star Earrings, currently from £112.61 (Etsy.com)

River Island Gold Tone Flower Detail Ear Cuffs, £12. Buy it here.

Mastered the stacking ring trend? Then try a ‘hand harness’ (sometimes, a little disturbingly, called a ‘slave bracelet’), a ring-bracelet hybrid that extends from your wrist to your middle finger.

Add a couple of skinny open or midi rings for a delicate but impactful look.

Charm Design Jeweler Birthstone Slave Bracelet, currently £37.99 (Etsy.com)

Ted Baker Cassea Cupid Arrow Heart Ring, £19. Buy it here.

Oliver Bonas Round Textured Discs Ring, £22. Buy it here.

Wondering how to style your off-the-shoulder festive frock? Take a tip from The Saturdays’ Mollie King, who accessorised her ruffled red minidress with swept back hair and a dainty necklace from Folli Follie, at the brand’s latest London store launch.

Folli Follie Love & Fortune Rose Gold Eternal Heart Link Necklace, £65 (www.follifollie.co.uk)