She's in vogue: Amal Alamuddin's evolution from casual to couture

WORKING IT

Now 36, she has represented Julian Assange and has made regular appearances as a legal expert on Channel 4 News. She also lectures on law at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London and is part of the team at Doughty Street Chambers.

Her career has meant that her working wardrobe has mainly consisted of sharply cut power suits and neutral shift dresses — she covered up in a trench coat while assisting Assange, sticking to browns and beiges in her dealings with the WikiLeaker.

But from the moment she began dating Clooney and the papps came out it became clear she had her own idiosyncratic off-duty style. Once photographed in mismatching kitten heels — one pink, the other purple — she was seen as more quirky than quintessentially stylish: think Eighties jeans with pastel crop tops. Her first appearances on fashion sites and blogs attracted more sniggers than plaudits — no one is laughing now.

ACCESSORISE THIS

This is a woman who loves her accessories but combines designer must-haves with practicality. Rather than heels, she opts for flats and kitten heels when working — although the heels come out for conferences and she towered happily over Clooney at her wedding weekend. Smart flats from Oscar de la Renta and brogues from Prada are favourites while during the summer she was credited with singlehandedly reviving the flat gold sandal.

When it comes to hats and bags she likes to buy big. For work days she favours large totes in neutral colours from Mulberry and Balenciaga while the oversized floppy hat she wore in Venice for her civil ceremony brought the inevitable comparisons with Bianca Jagger.

She carried only one bag over the entire wedding weekend (at the signing of the register) confirming her transition into the celebrity zone (someone else will carry your stuff). And she is never, ever without a pair of oversized film-star shades.

THE NEW STYLE ICON

Kim Kardashian reportedly spent months schmoozing US Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour in her quest for a front cover and fashion advice but Alamuddin walked right into the pages of the magazine. And no wonder — she’s a grown-up (36! Gasp!) with a proper job who can carry off couture.

From the Stella McCartney trouser suit to the tiny macramé Giambattista Valli Haute Couture dress with the high-low hemline that she appeared in for her first official appearance as Mrs Clooney, Alamuddin manages to wear high fashion without letting it wear her.

She kept Italians happy with her black-and-white Dolce & Gabbana and delighted us Brits even further by choosing a Sarah Burton/Alexander McQueen gown for her pre-wedding dinner.

The scarlet gown with black floral print had originally been worn by Michelle Obama at a White House dinner but Alamuddin asked for the hemline and bust to be altered — with spectacular results.

The wedding dress itself was a more restrained if sumptuous affair: a French lace Oscar de la Renta dress embroidered with pearls and diamanté accents with off-the-shoulder sleeves. According to fashion sources she has eschewed the offers of stylists and personal assistants and prefers to trust her own instincts.

WHAT NEXT?

With interview requests and party invitations flooding in, designers beating down her door, and her father already hinting that he’d like to see grandchildren soon, it will be interesting to see what Alamuddin does next. Colleagues say she has retained her formidable work ethic throughout her relationship with Clooney but there has been speculation about whether her high profile will prove incompatible with her legal work.

Alamuddin has so far refused all interview requests — and the wedding deals were only done in return for a substantial donation to charity. She no longer has Instagram or Twitter accounts and only speaks in public in relation to her work.

If she does give up her job to move to the US with Clooney she is likely to become involved with his philanthropic projects and campaigning rather than morphing into a smiling and silent red carpet regular.