The grown-up guide to wearing an anklet

I may know better, but Im still not immune to impulse holiday purchases that dont stand up to London wear.Take the string of puka shells that I bought in Spain last year, or fretwork leather slippers I picked up in Morocco.Both seemed chic - if on the exotic side - in the context of the market, but back in North london… well, you can imagine.

Visiting Athens for the first time earlier this month, I couldnt resist another piece that I was sure would go the same way.I was in the Greek capital for the opening of Ancient Greek Sandals first store.Theirs is a golden success story here, and this opening part of what feels like a new era of culture and commerce for Athens following the Greek recession - the streets buzzed.Sandal-watching in the name of journalism, then, I began to notice gold chains - some studded with coins, bells or semi-precious stones - around the ankles of elegantly dressed Greek women.

Ive always written anklets off as something pre-teens and gap-yearers wear, but these glamorous women had reappropriated them.They do highlight the slimmest part of the leg (and ankles tend to age well), and are a way to add a bit of flash to a very simple outfit of a sundress or cropped trousers and shirt.The counterpoint of an understated flat leather sandal, like Ancient Greeks, was key - add a kitten heel and youre suddenly on dodgy ground.

Beaded chain anklet, £12.95, Seol + Gold; Alighieri gold-plated pearl anklet, £210, Net-a-Porter; Oval chain anklet, £63, Ancient Greek Sandals.

Rather than trawling those holiday markets, you can find cheap and cheerful options at Accessorize and Topshop if you don"t want to commit much money to this purchase.But I"d recommend spending a little more on a gold-plate iteration - the more elevated the design, the further from those pre-teen associations - Alighieri"s even boasts a baroque pearl.

Still, I felt self conscious of the jingle-jangling of my gold bells on the tube to Telegraph towers - until my well-dressed feet began to win compliments, even from Lisa Armstrong, whose beat Im covering this week.At this rate, I might even revisit those puka shells.

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