It’s been the question from everyone: Which female judge will win this year’s X Factor style stakes? As the series enters its final week, fashion and beauty specialist Claire Coleman gives her verdict...



WEEK ONE: On the first live show Dannii Minogue pulls off the lace look without looking like a second-time bride, but Cheryl Cole seems to have cut down a flamenco dancer’s costume.


DESIGNERS: Dannii: J’Aton Couture; Cheryl: Zuhair Murad

WINNER: Dannii.




WEEK TWO:Undoubtedly one of Cheryl’s worst looks and she knows it. She looks painfully uncomfortable in this too-short, cut-out skater frock, and those fussy shoes probably aren’t helping. And, yes, while I concede that there’s a touch of Maggie Thatcher about Dannii’s outfit, she looks classy and together.

DESIGNERS: Dannii: Antonio Berardi; Cheryl: Versus.

WINNER: Dannii




WEEK THREE: Dannii’s gone for the Fifties sexy housewife thing while Cheryl’s outfit screams young, finger-on-the-pulse fashion. Both look like they’ve tried too hard.

DESIGNERS Dannii: Dolce & Gabbana; Cheryl: Kristian Aadnevik.

WINNER: Tie.





WEEK FOUR: Another uncomfortable night for Cheryl in her naughty French maid fancy dress attire. Dannii nails it with her Mad Men-inspired red ruffled dress.

DESIGNERS: Dannii: Marchesa; Cheryl: Jonathan Saunders.

WINNER: Dannii







WEEK FIVE: Er, did Cheryl forget to get dressed? She looks as though she got her slip caught in her knickers and ran out the door anyway. To be fair, Dannii could be accused of looking like a giant sweet, but at least she remembered her dress.

DESIGNERS: Dannii: Philip Armstrong; Cheryl: Pucci.

WINNER: Dannii





WEEK SIX:I know Cheryl looks as though she’s auditioning for a role as an evil Princess Leia in a soft-porn version of Star Wars, but I quite like it. Dannii’s classic toga-style dress really suits her, but I’d have preferred it if she’d ditched the gaudy turquoise earrings and gone for something simpler in gold.

DESIGNERS: Dannii: Carla Zampatti; Cheryl: Georges Chakra.

WINNER: Tie





WEEK SEVEN: It may look as though Cheryl’s ripped off Dannii’s look from last week and added some gold foil, but it’s still miles better than Dannii’s boring brown column dress.

DESIGNERS: Dannii: Gucci; Cheryl: BodyAmr.

WINNER: Cheryl





WEEK EIGHT: Every part of my brain says Cheryl’s dress shouldn’t work — it’s too gold, too spangly, too Oscar statuette. Yet I love it, and so does she. But Dannii looks uncomfortable in her acres of fussy, Greek-inspired red chiffon.

DESIGNERS: Dannii: Carla Zampatti; Cheryl: Gianfranco Ferre.

WINNER: Cheryl




WEEK NINE: What with Dannii’s oversized corsage and Cheryl in a work of origami, neither of these outfits represents their best look. Still, both are flattering, even if the detailing is a bit wacky.

DESIGNERS: Dannii: Aurelio Costarella; Cheryl: Stephane Rolland.

WINNER: Tie



AND THE WINNER IS...
While Cheryl has outshone Dannii in previous series, this year Ms Minogue has really hit her stride. 

She’s learned to keep things simple, having worked out that clean-cut lines look best on camera.

Her remaining act, Matt Cardle, may be the bookies’ favourite to win this weekend’s final, but in the style stakes, it’s Dannii who has the X Factor.