It's amazing the number of people that stick to dark colours even at this time of year. Earlier this week, I travelled to Central London to meet up with one of our jewellery buyers for lunch and we were surprised to see so many women dressed in pure black (from top to toe!) despite the wonderful blue sky.

Don't get me wrong, black is actually my favourite colour, as you might have gathered from the Caradiaz web look. It is also extremely popular amongst City workers because it conveys a professional image. But the slick 'City girl' look can be achieved with other colours as well - look at the Spring/Summer collections from shops like Zara, Mango, Massimo Dutti or Reiss; they have a great selection of separates for the workplace in sophisticated tones.

Anyway, if you still MUST wear black this spring, try to avoid looking like a member of what my luncheon companion referred to as 'the City's black army'. Any black suit or dress can be easily brought to life with a gorgeous piece of statement jewellery or perhaps a stylish scarf or another item that actually makes you stand out from the crowd and shows your individual style.

Statement necklace: Sybilla

Smart yet vibrant: Mango Spring-Summer 2008