It's the colour of the season. We show you how to wear purple with panache. Rainbow brights were all over the Autumn/Winter catwalks but if there's one shade that stands out from the colour crowd, it's purple. From soft lavender to deep violet, designers turned to the purple power to make a big impression.

Perfect for partywear or everyday looks, purple's wearability makes it 'the' colour to inject into your wardrobe this season.

"Purple's a colour that looks great on all ages and suits most skin tones," says Fiona Wellins of Colour Me Beautiful. The fact it's derived from mixing red and blue gives it both warm and cool properties making purple very 'user-friendly' on the colour palette."

Just pick your shade and strike a pose in purple this season.

Daywear delights Purple may be eye-catching but it doesn't have to scream out 'statement look'. With so many varied shades to choose from it can look delicious as daywear. Wear top-to-toe in block colour to be ultra fashion-forward, or simply pick a versatile staple like a coat or chunky cardigan that you can wear again and again.

Fiona says: "If you're loving purple as much as everyone else then a shift or jersey dress is a great piece to see you through the season. Or find at least one knit in your best shade of purple, then it will be more of an investment piece."

Check out Dorothy Perkins' purple buttoned tunic, £30, or River Island's velvet purple Panae dress, £49.99, for versatile day dresses.

Top purple coats include French Connection's purple wrap coat, £160, or Monsoon's bell-sleeved Joy coat, £75. Knitwear fans should snuggle up in Debenhams' J Taylor cardigan, £45, or Planet's chunky purple knitted cardigan, £89.

Purple glamour Purple is ideal for brightening up a drab winter wardrobe but the colour really comes into its own in the glamour stakes. Think rich, opulent purple and you're sure to dazzle on the dancefloor during the party season. "Purple's a great alternative to black for the evening," says Fiona. "The darker tones in particular have the similar effect of slimming down the body."

Get purple fever in Monsoon's Fusion purple Gypsy dress, £48, French Connection's Beatle satin scoop neck dress, £85, Oasis' purple prom dress, £65, or Matalan's purple balloon sleeve dress, £25. For versatile tops you can mix and match with skirts, trousers or stylish jeans look to New Look's purple silk top, £18, or Internacionale's sparkle purple tube top, £12.

Flash of purple Packing a punch in purple is no mean feat for the colour-shy. But as with any colour, you can always inject splashes of purple into your wardrobe with accessories. "Accessories are a great way to get this season's purple look if you're not overly confident about wearing too much of it," Fiona advises. "There are some fabulous purple pieces out there, from heels and bags to scarves and earrings, with some in rather unexpected fabrics and designs." Purple is big news in shoe collections this season. Look to French Connection's purple patent shoes, £80, Georgina Goodman for Evans' black suede and purple metallic heel, £50, Barratts' suede Mary Jane purple courts, £35, or cover up pins for winter with Warehouse's purple suede boot, £80. Look out also for these purple winter wonders: French Connection's purple long knit gloves, £18, Accessorize's purple open knit beret, £10, or Jonathan Aston's violet tights, £4.95, from My Tights.

Purple power The real beauty of punchy purple is it's wearability. With a vast spectrum of shades, there's a colour out there to suit you. Fiona has this advice on picking the right purple for your colouring to make a fashionable impact: LIGHTS, like Cate Blanchett, who are natural blondes with light eyebrows and delicate porcelain skin, should plump for the paler shades of purple such as light violet.

DEEPS, like Catherine Zeta Jones, with dark hair and dark eyes, look fabulous in rich, dark shades like royal purple and aubergine.

WARMS, like Nicole Kidman, who have red-toned hair, and often have freckles, suit purples with a hint of yellow, such as light periwinkle, which will blend in with your golden colouring to create a harmonious look.

COOLS, like Judi Dench, with ash tones to the hair and pinkish skin, should opt for icy shades of purple, like cool violet and lilac.