For some time now, I've been looking for a proper tuxedo suit for evening.

In my life, there are evening events that are sit-down, or stand-up, or dance affairs (I don't dance), dinner out and the restaurant might be freezing, or it's at somebody's house and will we be in, or will we be out? And gallery first nights when artist friends exhibit.

The thing is, what to wear?

I've had my fill of shivering in something backless or skimpy when you just don't know what you're going to get, and then you spend all evening cocooned up in your wrap, trying to keep your nips from looking like someone's stuffed grapes down your frock.

So once again I went on the hunt for a tux.

I had a great tux when I was at college (and boy, do I regret getting rid of that to the charity shop when I fled my psycho boyfriend with my wardrobe in bin-liners before he carried out his threat to burn everything I owned...). It was a boy's Savile Row-made black cashmere suit with satin lapels, which I altered to fit. Never again will I encounter so thick and wondrous a fabric.

My second tux was a mid-90s wool crepe with linebacker shoulders, a Nehru neckline and leather appliqué and beading all over it. I got it from some posh Italian sample shop in Soho but although it was beautiful at the time, time was not kind to it, nor would I again wear leather and bead appliques without several drinks inside me. 

But I digress...

Back in the real world of 2011, my first attempt at a new tux was a Dorothy Perkins black poly trousersuit. I got this on Ebay, but I was disappointed when it arrived - it was very flimsy and nowhere near the quality I remember for this label, which was always better than it needed to be, if you know what I mean.This suit was no better than it had to be, in contrast.

It will do OK for daytime, though, and the jacket is a good cut and fit - just doesn't have the lustre I was after. A shame, as I have some DP black trousers in satin-backed crepe that are perfect - I just don't have the jacket and it's a perennial problem getting blacks to match.

But I hit paydirt with the second one - a cream poly version from Planet.

Planet was one of my go-to work labels when I lived in London, along with Alexon, Bickler and Windsmoor. Nearly all my work suits came from these labels (though Jaeger was also useful for belts and separates) and even when that time passed, I was able to cut up and keep some of their quality wool skirts for other purposes.

I bought my new tux like everything else, of course, off Ebay. Living miles from anywhere, and without any kind of access to a department store, Ebay is my baby. I also prefer to buy secondhand if I can, for ecological reasons. This tux was worn by someone once, for a wedding. It cost me £20 and shipping - reduced from over £200 new - and came in a high-end garment bag with the dry cleaning labels still on it. 

My new tux may be poly, but there is poly and poly, as we all known. It is beautifully made in satin-backed crepe, with double lapels (the under lapel is satin), and satin-trimmed pockets. As a true tux should, the jacket has just one button (a big mother of pearl one), and comes below my bottom to hide a multitude of sins. The trousers are fully lined and have a side zip - the most flattering cut for most women - and the waistline is bound in satin.

This is a fabulous piece, which I hope will go on for years, teamed with a silk teeshirt or a cashmere sweater, or a camisole or a silk blouse.

The beauty of a tux suit (or 'le smoking' as it's known in France) is that it means you always have SOMETHING to wear in the evening. You can team the jacket with black trousers or a longish skirt, and if, when you get there, it's too hot, just make sure you have something pretty under the jacket - we can leave it to our 20-something sisters to go naked.

Eco-credentials: polyester is a polluting fibre in its manufacture, but then requires no further processing and uses less power to produce and maintain than cotton. Overall, many consider it a better eco-fibre than cotton.

Planet is a subsidiary of the Jacques Vert label. Jacques Vert tells me it is currently formulating its corporate social responsibility policy, which it will post on its website once it is settled. 

Can't let the day go by without mention of the Golden Globes frocks.

Looking out for best-dressed women over 40, Susan Sarandon did us proud, as ever, this year in a luxurious black velvet 'le smoking' trousersuit. A tuxedo trousersuit like this should be in every woman's wardrobe once she hits 40. Paired with a camisole, a halter-neck top, a vest, a blouse, a waistcoat, you can endlessly ring the changes with it, and it's perfect for evenings when you're not quite sure of the level of formality, or whether the venue will be warm or cold.

Gowns were generally very elegant and understated this year, which was nice to see - Hollywood often equating allure with being drop-dead obvious. Many of the gowns were strapless but there was no strong trend emerging, though Sandra Bullock wore the 'in' colour of the night - purple, with a slightly sheer skirt.

I really like this look, as it is one that can be reproduced fairly easily at a lower price point, and it is beautiful without being in any way trashy. Most women retain pretty necks and shoulders well into later life and a strapless dress, properly fitted, can showcase them to perfection. The key for many of us is the tricky armpit area, where the upper breast meets the arm - correct fitting here is crucial to avoid nasty skin pucker.

When women opted for black they often did so with sequins, such as Glenn Close's strapless number from Oscar de la Renta, and Helen Mirren's fishtail gown - note the sleeves, which Mirren almost always wears - one of the advantages of having clothes made to order. It is an easy enough fix for any competent dressmaker, if you ever find a strapless dress that you like, which would be just perfect if it only had sleeves. Separate sleeves can be made from organza, tulle or chiffon, and you could even have several sets made to ring the changes. 

A bit of colour never comes amiss on the red carpet, where every man is wearing black. Laura Linney looked soft and pretty in an unusually coloured dress - almost a mustard creamy yellow, and this, along with Bullock's, was my favourite of the night.

Kyra Sedgwick's red gown (a satin with just the right amount of sheen) and Demi Moore's nude-colour boudoir chiffon (top left) were also lovely.