FOR too many weeks I have dodged that huge X-Factor shaped elephant in the room.

To put it simply, that was but a deliberate attempt on my part to dodge the similarly X-Factor shaped bullet.

But alas! It's too late. No matter how hard you try, no matter how many times you search desperately for something else to just 'stick on', well, it seems, there is no getting away from it.

Like the rest of the nation who do nothing but moan about the programme, its loss of integrity (although some would understandably argue it never had any) etc etc, we all get sucked in at some point.

Simon Cowell. Even the mention of his name in a fashion column is ironic - don't mention those long oversized t-shirts, the flared jeans, those glossy shoes.

But in spite of his questionable fashion choices, which some may say is indeed questionable considering his wealth, he knows how to capture our attention - whether we're consenting or not.

Perhaps the most sincere part of the X-Factor is not the singers and their stories, but the inevitable battle of the best dressed judge.

The women that is. And this year with the arrival of Rita Ora, that contest has stepped up a gear.

Granted, the best is yet to come in the live shows but the auditions and ongoing boot camp sessions has certainly given the girls a good start.

So far Cheryl Fernandez-Versini has given Rita (eight years her junior) a run for her money with a super cute 60s style tunic dress which managed to make what could have been the curtains/carpet of a 70s home.

At boot camp it was Rita who struck gold with a head turning multicoloured checked jacket and a futuristic, short sleeked hair-style.

She may have been slammed from fans on Twitter for taking inspiration from the children's picture book character Elmer the elephant (and yes, the resemblance was uncanny) but she still looked like model-material.

Get the 60s look with a tunic dress from Fashion Union, available from Next at £25.

Match with heeled ankle boots and a leather jacket for night time drinks.

And get your own statement coat from Marks and Spencer which has a red and black checked jacket at £59.