Claudia Winkleman's high-street mini dress is perfect for party season

Jess Denham

21 October 2024 at 4:33 am·10-min read

claudia winkleman strictly come dancing outfits — Where to shop Claudia Winkleman's Strictly looksRay Burmiston - BBC

Strictly Come Dancing is back for its 22nd (!) series, with Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly resuming their glittering hosting duties. The BBC dance show, which returned to our screens in September, never fails to deliver on sequins and spandex; when it comes to style inspiration, Claudia can be always be counted on for a masterclass in Saturday night glamour, especially in the lead-up to party season.

Scroll down for Claudia Winkleman's Strictly outfit tonight

Given our love of high/low dressing at Red, it'll come as no surprise that we're big admirers of Claudia's long-time stylist Sinead McKeefry, who works with the presenter on both Strictly and The Traitors. While we often seen Claudia rocking designer brands like Self-Portrait and The Vampire's Wife (RIP, but that black gown from last year's Strictly that Claudia 'proposed to' will forever be its legacy), Sinead often deftly mixes these high-end labels with more affordable high-street names like Zara, ME+EM and Sister Jane.

Every year, Claudia and Sinead choose a vague, lighthearted theme for her Strictly looks, with past inspirational mood boards revolving around everyone from Elvis Presley and Pat Butcher to 2023's...snooker player. This dynamic duo don't take themselves too seriously – though don't worry, the glam goth vibes are still always out in force – which is surely just one reason why everything always works. This year? We've got an amalgamation of Demis Roussos and Kris Jenner. Yes, really.

'Some of our themes have been absolutely ridiculous, but Claudia and I have the same sense of humour so they always make sense to us,' Sinead laughs. 'This one came about after I told her how much I was loving what Taller Marmo [the luxury eveningwear label known for its kaftan-style silhouettes] was doing at the moment – they've got some really cool pieces in this season. Claud said, "Perfect, I want to be totally covered up!" So I decided to look at who could inspire us in the world of kaftans, and we came up with good old Demis, and Kris on one of her holidays. I also have a real obsession with Cher in the Seventies.'

Much as we love Claudia's signature style, we're excited to enjoy a bit of a sartorial departure this series, which Sinead describes as 'much more glamorous' than past years. 'Claud tends to mix the masculine and feminine and hit somewhere nicely in the middle,' she says. 'But for this year's Strictly, you'll be seeing more Cher-inspired, kaftan-y, disco-y, feathery moments. I've got one pair of shoes that are particularly stand-out – these beautiful high white stilettos with faux fur all around them.'

For the first live show, Claudia broke the internet in a flowing cream Taller Marmo kaftan that saw her compared to Princess Leia...and the pope. 'The great thing about Claudia is that we have a laugh together,' says Sinead. 'Every time I went round to the 'Clauditorium' that night and shared the feedback with her she'd squeal and laugh her head off, finding it all hilarious. It was quite an out-there choice for the first week, but she felt great it in and fashion people loved it. I was happy with both responses; one thing we're not is middle of the road, and it sparked a nice little talking point.'

Other highlights to come include plenty more Self-Portrait a la Claudia's green sequin dress in week two – 'It's really great for occasionwear and fantastic quality for the price point,' says Sinead – plus some pieces from Nadine Merabi and independent Irish label, Queens of Archive (think The Vampire's Wife, with glitzy Studio 54 vibes). But they'll be plenty of shoppable high-street looks, too.

'Yes, we have our big designer moments but I love the reaction when people tell me that they've gone out and bought something after seeing it on Claudia,' says Sinead. 'I love [Harry Styles' stylist] Harry Lambert for Zara so it'll be fun to see what we do with those pieces, and I've also been loving Reiss. I've called in quite a bit from Karen Millen too actually. If I like something, the label isn't important to me, and Claudia's the same. There's so much snobbery in fashion, but I've sourced things from places you wouldn't believe; during the Elvis year I put Claudia in some £24.99 trousers from Amazon.'

Talking of Amazon, Sinead is sold on the e-tailer's new preloved luxury offering. 'They're only taking the best of the best, so you know anything you're getting from there is in very, very good condition,' she says. 'Claudia's Saint Laurent mini dress from week two was from the Seventies, so it had already had its own life cycle before she wore it. Now one of my private clients wants to buy it, so it's been a great example of how sustainability can work.'

Sinead and Claudia tend to share behind-the-scenes photos of her Strictly looks on Instagram, meaning we can do some digging (i.e. beg Sinead to tell us!) and find out how to emulate them ourselves. So, now that Strictly is back, we'll be here updating this page with where to buy Claudia Winkleman's outfit from each show. Your excuse to shop, if you need one? Christmas is just around the corner, and many of her looks feel perfect for festive events...

Can't get enough of Claudia's Strictly style? We've also taken a look back at some of Claudia's best Strictly outfits from past series, including sharp tailoring, striking dresses and, of course, a healthy dose of sparkle.

Keeeeeep dancing!

Where to shop Claudia Winkleman's Strictly Come Dancing outfits

Week Five: Results Show

To reveal the Strictly results on Sunday night, Claudia once again turned to the high street, wearing a beautiful red draped midi dress from one of our go-to brands for elevated capsule-wardrobe pieces, Cos. Her chic asymmetric style with floaty fluted sleeves is sadly already out of stock in most sizes, but it's also available in a dark petrol blue.