AW’13 is a good season for especially special evening. Refined and restrained with a lean on the more casual, there was shine for days, gorgeous cascading gowns, and opulence, oh the opulence (don’t get tired of that word just yet). The cuts were more body embracing than we’ve seen in several seasons. There was sexy but that came as an after thought, the mood was loose. New necklines like J Mendel gave us, high and discreet but with just as much sex appeal in its detail, my personal favourite was from Carmen Marc Valvo; the grand daddy, deep V-neck shirt with sequin skirt , reminiscent of Sharon stone’s Oscar outfit circa 1998, a look worthy of the Hall of Fame, the sequinned cap sleeves knitwear paired with brocade was another winning mix from Badgley Mischka. On the whole there was a fine tuning of the clichéd evening looking, the mermaid was banished or reworked a la Siriano’s brilliant belted, knee length, red dress, it was even more dazzling for all its simplicity and it smacks of something Joan could wear, (Mad Men Joan). In contrast with subtle hair and makeup this was a show season for evening wear.