Regal blue

CLOTHES LINES:There's something about velvet in the evening light that is so alluring and there's nothing like the feel of real silk velvet to the touch.

The Duke of Windsor, no slouch when it came to dressing for the night, always preferred navy to black velvet for his smoking jackets. This lovely silk velvet frock coat called a “Flossie” is from a UK company called Cabbages and Roses. It costs a hefty £325 (€378), but think how long it would last compared to cheap cotton velvet jackets, if you could find them anywhere. The finish is good, with double front pockets and an open symmetric vent at the back. See cabbagesandroses.co.uk.

One to watch

Mark Hearn, MD of Patek Philippe, showcased the Swiss company’s latest collection at Weirs recently. The watches are incredibly complicated and complex affairs with thousands of tiny components that make them the wonder of the horological world and of infinite allure to collectors. Women are now becoming as intrigued by their mechanics as men have traditionally been and, in a first for the company, Sandrine Stearn, wife of the current owner, has designed a watch specifically for women. This particular beauty has lots of techie details, but primarily it is self-winding, composed of 467 parts, adorned with baguette diamonds and a solid gold dial. The price is around €24,000 Lotto winners take note.

Great balls of fire

According to an IBM computer-based analysis of billions of social media posts, heel heights are going to drop in coming seasons. The past 100 years of shoe fashion trends reveal that heel heights soared during the most prominent recession in US history, and low-heeled flapper shoes in the 1920s were replaced with high-heel pumps and platforms during the Depression. Platforms revived again during the 1970s oil crisis and the low, thick heels of 1990s grunge gave way to Sex and the Citystilettos following the dot com bust. Heels are still high, but there could be a new trend downwards. This amazing shoe from Prada's spring collection, a winged creature in patent and crystal, points in another direction entirely. It costs more than €600 and is due in stores from February.