ByJan Shure, Jan Shure
A combination of the economic uncertainty and over-buying at fashion HQs around the UK means there is plenty of winter stock from which to pluck alluring bargains.
Readers are, of course, savvy enough to know the sales rules, but in case you are rendered forgetful in the face of overwhelming temptation, here they are again:
● Only buy something in the sale if you love it madly or need it badly (true non-sale, too).
● If you wouldn't have loved it at full price, don't buy it because you won't love it any more at a knock-down price.
● If it isn't in a colour that really suits you, step away from the rail; being cheap won't make it more flattering.
● If it doesn't fit well now, it never will. If a dress is too small, or a jacket too big, don't delude yourself it will ever look right.
Despite the early cold snap, which probably reduced significantly the coats available for the sale rails, there are still great coat mark-downs. At Banana Republic, there's a camel coat down to £99.99 from £175 or a shearling waistcoat down to £299 from £525. At Aquascutum, their luxe, shawl-collar camel coat is down from £1,300 to £775. There's a Gerard Darel cape coat down from £225 to £165 at Fenwick's, where the sale begins on December 27, while Averyl in Temple Fortune has MaxMara coats reduced by 30 to 50 percent. There's a shearling coat by Freda down from £1,750 to £998, and a Helmut Lang wool coat down from £720 to £418 in the Matches sale, while Brooks Brothers has pea coats down to £169 from £249.
If you are hoping to scoop up a cut-price frock for New Year's Eve, Averyl has Moschino down by as much as 50 percent, and there are well-cut little shift dresses in jewel-colours at LK Bennett, down from £225 to £175. At Browns there's a strappy plum velvet Versus dress down to £925 from £1,850.
Those looking for something warmer will find delicious knits at Paulie, where a fur trim cashmere sweater is down from £469 to £328, and a heavy knit sweater in navy and cream is down to £155 from £259.In accessories, the Rupert Sanderson sale, which starts December 27, has shoes and boots at 40 per cent off.