No need to trawl the fancy dress shops for a Halloween look this year. The high street is full of devilishly dark pieces to work a convincing Gothic vibe.

Bring on the dramatics with floaty fabrics that billow in the wind like Dracula’s cape, or channel Morticia Addams in alluring, body-hugging lace.

Avoid scary extremes and your take on glamorous Gothic will be all treat and no tricks. By choosing wickedly good staples, your outfit will go further than midnight on October 31. This is fashion for fright night and beyond...

Black magic

Sorry, but white witches just aren’t welcome at this season’s gothic party. Black is the only colour to covet.

An all-black look can be unforgiving but not if you look for sheer, lace or cut-out velvet panelling to soften the intensity. If you prefer long sleeves and high necks for winter, this is the way to cover up but still expose a hint of skin. For daywear, try embracing the Halloween spirit with cobweb-effect fine knits.

Print hocus-pocus

Gothic looks don’t have to mean top-to-toe black. Print is the accessible way to do Goth by day.

Thanks to designers like Mary Katrantzou, dark photographic woodland scenes are the modern means to inject some creepy couture into your look. Stick to monochromatic prints or deep, moody hues like purple and navy that resemble a moonlit night.

Intricate baroque-style prints also fit the Gothic brief if you stick to a cold colour palette and avoid the opulent gold and glitz reserved for Christmas dance floors.

For something more playful, bats are currently fashion’s nocturnal creature of choice. Try a jumper with a statement bat motif or a repetitive bat print on a skirt or top.

Accessories

Ear cuffs are having a moment right now – just the one, mind – and if you want to experiment, Halloween night is the perfect opportunity.

For statement neckwear, look to striking onyx black gems to set free your inner glamorous Goth, or an oversized spider charm if you plan to freak out arachnophobics on your commute.

On October 31, go to town with elegant lace cat ears, ornate bat sunglasses and skeleton print leather gloves.