Jumpsuit, trouser suit or dress? A mum and content strategist compares the options for November school concerts, Remembrance services, autumn weddings and family photos. Five clear criteria help you choose for warmth, movement, repeat wear and cost per wear.

Late September holds the most common birthdays in England and Wales, so the new class brings a whole season of parties rather than a single event. This guide compares velvet, jersey and tulle birthday dresses for village-hall, soft-play and restaurant parties on warmth, movement, washability, sleeves and cost per wear.

A British christening day contains two climates: a cool stone church and a hot July lawn an hour later. I compared fabric weights and breathability, worked out the size-by-age data for fast-growing babies, and ran the cost-per-wear numbers on an occasion dress. The result is a practical buying guide rather than a fashion round-up.