Stefano Gabbana's advice to Dame Joan Collins

Stefano Gabbana's advice to Dame Joan Collins after her same-dress moment with Susanna Reid

If you've ever rocked up to an event wearing more or less the exact same outfit as someone else you'll know it can be stress-inducing. Dame Joan Collins and Susanna Reid fell into this trap earlier today on Good Morning Britain, when they turned up wearing undeniably similar floral frocks.

Both managed to see the funny side of the slip-up and even compared labels - Reid's was bought last summer from George at Asda while Joan Collin's is a two year-old piece by Dolce and Gabbana.

Stefano Gabbana, the designer of Joan Collins's dress, was in wholehearted agreement with their approach. "Just start laughing and congratulate them on their very popular dress!" he told us of how to deal with a similar same-dress scenario in real life.

Gabbana added that such occasions are to be expected when you buy pret-a-porter (ready-to-wear) rather than couture. "It's impossible!" he laughed. "If you find another lady in a lemon dress, make lemonade!" he quipped - no doubt a reference to Dolce and Gabbana's new print of the season, featuring lemons.

Whilst we're in agreement with Mr Gabbana over almost everything fashion, not everyone is able to smooth over a blip like this quite so seamlessly. Whether it's friend, foe or frenemy you manage to match with, we've got five pointers to help you avoid a major fall out.

1. Make friends with your outfit-twin

Making a joke out of it yourselves diverts others from making the situation awkward - and avoiding it all together will only make that worse. If you don't already know your outfit-twin, smile and introduce yourself and compliment her on her great choice. And if you do, well great minds do think alike after all, so see it as a compliment and laugh it off together. KT

2. Take a picture

Remember in Sex & The City 2 when Samantha and Miley Cyrus bumped into each other on the red carpet in the same mini dress? They laughed it off and turned the could-be fashion disaster into a twinning photo opportunity, just like Susanna and Joan.

Olivia and I followed suit after both turning up to the office in that Alexa Chung for M&S frilled blouse, and spotting a social media opportunity, we had a quick photoshoot, posting a pic of our outfits over on the Telegraph Fashion Instagram. KT

3. Don't price compare

If you can tell that your matching item isn't by the same brand, we suggest you don't compare price tags because it can get awkward. Eagerly reveal that yours is a cheapie from the high street and you risk making the other person rue the day they spend ten fold what you did on an almost identical dress, or if in fact yours is in fact more expensive, you risk looking like an insufferable money bags. Dame Joan Collins and Susanna Reid managed to escape this situation unscathed, but we say: why risk it?

4. Accessorize

If ever there was a time to make use of the pair of earrings you once took off and stowed away in your purse never to retrieve, or the scarf tried around the handle of your handbag, it's now. Don't underestimate the way in which a silk scarf tied around your neck can transform a neckline, or a pair of statement earrings can revamp a look and make it all your own again. It all comes down to how you wear it after all.

5. Whack on a lipstick

In the same way a lipstick has the power to transform your ensemble from workwear to evening appropriate, so too can it change the effect of a particular piece. A bold lip instantly detracts from the outfit itself, so if you do find yourself swanning around in a dangerously similar monochrome number at your next spring-time event, reach for the red lipstick.

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Life consists not in holding good cards, but in playing well those you hold. keep your friends close,but your enemies closer.