Giuseppe Zanotti black and gold anchor wedges

The Shoes: Giuseppe Zanotti black and gold anchor wedges, £705

I wrote a bit last week about my great love of anything vaguely nautical, and now here’s a pair of Giuseppe Zanotti wedges, to prove it!

With their black upper and gold hardware, these are a far cry from the usual red, white and blue colours I usually associate with this kind of theme, but there’s no denying the giant gold anchor on the front, is there? Combined with the chain detail around the small platform, these are a slightly more grown-up version of the familiar, summery style, and they’re a bit more evening-appropriate, too.

If you are wearing these on a night out, the 4 inch wedge heel will make them a more practical choice than stilettos, while the slim straps keep the look dressy. The anchor, meanwhile, adds an unusual touch, and contrasts beautifully with the black leather: although I’ve spoken of them as evening shoes here, I also really love the simple daytime styling on the Net-a-Porter website, where they’re shown with black jeans and a classic white shirt.

I’ve kept my own styling of these shoes equally classic:

The Style: dress // handbag // scarf // bracelet // ring 

You definitely don’t have to restrict yourself to plain black with these shoes, and they’d work equally well with much bolder colours or prints (Red or cobalt would look particularly well, I think…). Black and gold is such a great combination, though, that I decided just to go with it. This dress is slightly more interesting than it might appear at first, thanks to the dipped hem and slash neck. The true power of the little black dress, however, lies with finding the perfect fit – get that right, and even the simplest of accessories will make it look like a million dollars.