This autumn/winter season, both catwalk and high street trends alike are showing influences of the Hollywood golden age of the 1940’s. The cinched in waists and elegant necklines of the current fashions are reminiscent of many a celebrity from a time when to be stylish was to epitomise the very height of grooming.

Of course, this groomed look didn’t just stop at the clothes a lady wore. To perfectly champion the look of the forties, one must be polished from head to toe. It sounds like a lot of work, particularly coming out of this summer’s laid back key style of the maxi dress, which worked best when accompanied by ‘just got out of bed’ hair and natural make up. Luckily, a simple day of relaxing treatments and appointments on Regent Street will have you looking like that fabulous forties starlet in no time.

One of the most important points to think about when attempting to work the forties look is undoubtedly the hair. There is no use wearing the very finest in hourglass figure hugging/creating dresses, only to have your hair scraped back in a non-descript style. It has to stand out from the crowd, be striking in an unusual and stunning way.

Many of us are put off by the fact that these styles seem virtually impossible to create at home. However, I put to you that if women in the forties could deal with World War II, and still look fabulous withouyt a trip to the salon, surely we can? The best thing to do is to make sure to find a good teacher...

This is where Top Shop comes in. Good for oh so much more than just clothes and accessories, Top Shop is a haven for beauty addicts too, with it’s nail bar, make-up counter and most importantly in this case, Hersheson’s Blow Dry Bar. If you’re just dying to wear your hair in that outlandish style you saw a model sporting in the latest Galliano show, but have no idea where to begin, the Blow Dry Bar is your answer. If it’s forties waves you wish for, likewise―simply drop into Top Shop and make an on the spot appointment. Remember to take a friend along (if you both watch the look being created, you can remind each other when it’s time to do it at home later).

Once you have the hair knowledge, next stop on the agenda should be Liberty for a consultation at the Laura Mercier counter. Vivien Leigh would never have been seen in public without perfect brows, knowing that the shape of your eyebrows can alter the entire shape of your face. Therefore this season check out the recently launched essentials from Laura Mercier that promise to shade, shape and define brows precisely. To finish the look, invest in Mister Mascara fake lashes, available for day and night, to ensure that your defined brows are enhanced with show stopping eyes. Each kit contains two sets of lashes, with mini tweezers to help you apply, that can be used time and time again, all season long. Before you leave Liberty, pick up a Stila lipstick from their new Full Fantasy - Tale of Enchantment line. I recommend Exquisite, a reddy brown shade with a gold shimmer, perfect for that dramatic forties pout.

So now you know how to do the hair and make-up, all you need to do to ensure that you’re ready to slip into that glamorous dress is stop by Bloww salon―the prefect pre-night out treat. Why not enjoy an all over mud mask with a friend in the Rasul Therapy Room, where you can chat to each other whilst your skin is cleansing. Relax to the gentle music as detoxifying steam fills the room. Following this, spend an hour in the Floatation Therapy Room, obtaining the benefits of a whole nights sleep as you relax on a thin membrane between your body and water, immersed in a cocoon of warmth and the benefits of an occlusion wrap. Following this, your skin will be so smooth and refreshed it could give even Rita Hayworth a run for her money in the glam stakes.

And now you’re set… with the perfect base for the dress, hair and make-up after your girlie day out on Regent Street. Why not try your new look out in one of the fine restaurants or bars in the area.

You never know, you may find the perfect Hollywood man to match.