It's that time of year when those pillar-box red sales signs start to pop up everywhere like, um, pillar boxes. Soon you'll see the sign "50% off" so often that it will seem emblazoned on the insides of your eyelids. Ah yes, it's that joyous time of year again: the January sales. Well, I say that, but we all know that the January sales start on Boxing Day, and in some cases a few days before that (River Island, Miss Selfridge, H&M and many others have already slashed their prices). But sales shopping, while often thrilling, can also be something of a minefield. After all, how does one know what to splash one's holiday cash on, and what would ultimately be better left in the bargain bin? Luckily, I've decided to give you my own humble opinion on what you should be keeping an eye out for among the jumbled-up jumpers and squashed-together shoes. Hope it's helpful...
1. Classics
Classic has been one of the buzzwords of A/W'10, thanks mainly to Phoebe Philo. Clean lines and unfussy aesthetics, as demonstrated beautifully by Clémence Poésy here, have dominated this season. And that's certainly good news for the sales, because it means - of course - that these items are unlikely to go out of fashion any time, well, ever. So I would certainly advise snapping up reduced classic pieces like crisp white shirts, pencil skirts, trench or camel coats, court shoes and simple structured bags. My top picks (either already reduced or I'm hoping they will be): H&M camel coat, £29.99 (reduced from £59.99); Topshop cream tab front silk shirt, £40; Zara shoulder bag with gusset, £39.99.
2. White (& nearly white)
Unlike classics, you probably won't have seen white dominating looks over the past few months. But as we all know, no spring/summer collection is complete without it. And S/S'11 was swamped by pure, crisp whites, either worn head to toe or paired with the palest pastels, as demonstrated by the beautiful Kate Bosworth in next season Jil Sander here. So while you may not feel like wearing a snow white dress in these arctic temperatures, choosing pale colours now will stand you in good stead when the sun shows its face again. My top picks: River Island white one shoulder ruffle dress, £30 (reduced from £69.99); Topshop mesh teardrop crop top, £20 (reduced from £32); Reiss Harry roll up chino peg, £25 (reduced from £85).
3. Leather
You will know by now that I'm just a little bit obsessed with leather. I can never say no to a leather jacket, and thanks to Christopher Bailey's amaaazing S/S'11 Burberry Prorsum collection, they are not going anywhere (and the silver leather jacket from River Island I featured yesterday is sooo Burberry). But you really shouldn't turn your nose up at anything leather, as far as I'm concerned. Shorts, skirts and dresses popped up in a variety of spring/summer shows, which, given that leather is much more suited to winter clothing, surely proves fashion's obsession with it. And Olivia Palermo, a leather devotee like me, shows that you can even wear the stuff pretty much head-to-toe and look fabulous (see her look here). I absolutely love pastel leather pieces, too, for a lighter look come spring. My top picks: Topshop leather a-line skirt, £58 (neeeed this to be reduced!); Reiss 1971 Francesca faux leather and jersey sweat dress, £66 (reduced from £95); River Island black high-waisted leather shorts, £30 (reduced from £59.99).
4. Leopard print
It's not just leather I'm addicted to: leopard print is another weakness of mine. There are very few outfits that don't look better with the addition of a pair of leopard shoes or a furry leopard clutch. Over the past few seasons the trend for all things feline has slowly been growing and growing, starting with the ubiquitous Louis Vuitton/Stephen Sprouse printed scarves and culminating in everything from fur coats to chiffon dresses (as modelled by the fabulous Chloë Sevigny here). And this megatrend shows no signs of abating. You can't go wrong with the classic tan print, but you'd be equally wise to snap up grey snow leopard or even pink or blue versions in the sales. My top picks: Topshop bright leopard zip pocket vest, £30; Zara printed tunic, £39.99; KG by Kurt Geiger vixen leopard pony wedge shoe boots, £90 (reduced from £150).
5. Neon
Click here to see the stunning Kate Bosworth rocking yet another next season trend: neon. I've chosen this picture because I was amazed at how much I love this look, given that I am pretty much allergic to bright colours. But the combination of the amazing Proenza Schouler dress with Kate's effortless styling (strong black accessories + messy hair + bright pink lips) gets a thumbs up from me. Which is a good job because, thanks mainly to the Proenza Schouler boys and a certain Christopher Kane, neon is big news for S/S'11. Somehow us colour-phobes will have to overcome our fears and dive in at the brightly-coloured deep end. If in doubt, start with neon lips or nails, then move onto shoes and work up to bright but simple shift dresses. My top picks: Topshop silk zip back tunic dress, £25 (reduced from £50); Asos Portfolio perforated high ankle boot, £44 (reduced from £80); Oasis sports watch, £20.
6. Jumpsuits
70s is the decade to reference next season (much to my chagrin, I might add). Most of it is all too hippy or luridly patterned for my liking, but the Studio 54 end of things appeals to me much more, offering a certain old world glamour to your new season wardrobe. Case in point is the amazing lurex jumpsuit Kate Moss wore to the launch of her final collection for Topshop (see it here). Elegant, glamorous and nowhere near boho. So my advice, if you're planning on dipping your toe back in time, is to get your hands on a jumpsuit pronto. Luckily there are some beauties out there, as long as you know where to look. Just remember these should only be worn in the evening, so think silk, crepe, and strictly without pattern. My top picks: River Island black glitter palazzo jumpsuit, £20 (reduced from £40); Topshop limited edition jumpsuit, £80 (reduced from £175; Asos velvet twist bandeau jumpsuit, £24 (reduced from £48).
7. Midi lengths
And finally, don't throw away your below-the-knee skirts just yet. Not the easiest item to wear, granted, but get them right and they can look super sophisticated. Plus, they're not going anywhere anytime soon (especially the pleated versions), so you might as well get used to them. If you need some inspiration as to how to style yours, check out 12th December's "today i'd love to wear", or reference Alexa Chung's look here and team with edgy accessories. Just whatever you do, don't wear flats. My top picks: Topshop lurex pleated midi skirt, £25 (reduced from £45); Zara leather skirt with pockets, £150; New Look high waisted midi skirt, £10 (reduced from £24.99).
And if you'd like any more inspiration from the new season collections before you set out sale shopping, why not check out my S/S'11 show reports? Click here for Paris, here for New York and here for London. Enjoy!
1. Classics
Classic has been one of the buzzwords of A/W'10, thanks mainly to Phoebe Philo. Clean lines and unfussy aesthetics, as demonstrated beautifully by Clémence Poésy here, have dominated this season. And that's certainly good news for the sales, because it means - of course - that these items are unlikely to go out of fashion any time, well, ever. So I would certainly advise snapping up reduced classic pieces like crisp white shirts, pencil skirts, trench or camel coats, court shoes and simple structured bags. My top picks (either already reduced or I'm hoping they will be): H&M camel coat, £29.99 (reduced from £59.99); Topshop cream tab front silk shirt, £40; Zara shoulder bag with gusset, £39.99.
2. White (& nearly white)
Unlike classics, you probably won't have seen white dominating looks over the past few months. But as we all know, no spring/summer collection is complete without it. And S/S'11 was swamped by pure, crisp whites, either worn head to toe or paired with the palest pastels, as demonstrated by the beautiful Kate Bosworth in next season Jil Sander here. So while you may not feel like wearing a snow white dress in these arctic temperatures, choosing pale colours now will stand you in good stead when the sun shows its face again. My top picks: River Island white one shoulder ruffle dress, £30 (reduced from £69.99); Topshop mesh teardrop crop top, £20 (reduced from £32); Reiss Harry roll up chino peg, £25 (reduced from £85).
3. Leather
You will know by now that I'm just a little bit obsessed with leather. I can never say no to a leather jacket, and thanks to Christopher Bailey's amaaazing S/S'11 Burberry Prorsum collection, they are not going anywhere (and the silver leather jacket from River Island I featured yesterday is sooo Burberry). But you really shouldn't turn your nose up at anything leather, as far as I'm concerned. Shorts, skirts and dresses popped up in a variety of spring/summer shows, which, given that leather is much more suited to winter clothing, surely proves fashion's obsession with it. And Olivia Palermo, a leather devotee like me, shows that you can even wear the stuff pretty much head-to-toe and look fabulous (see her look here). I absolutely love pastel leather pieces, too, for a lighter look come spring. My top picks: Topshop leather a-line skirt, £58 (neeeed this to be reduced!); Reiss 1971 Francesca faux leather and jersey sweat dress, £66 (reduced from £95); River Island black high-waisted leather shorts, £30 (reduced from £59.99).
4. Leopard print
It's not just leather I'm addicted to: leopard print is another weakness of mine. There are very few outfits that don't look better with the addition of a pair of leopard shoes or a furry leopard clutch. Over the past few seasons the trend for all things feline has slowly been growing and growing, starting with the ubiquitous Louis Vuitton/Stephen Sprouse printed scarves and culminating in everything from fur coats to chiffon dresses (as modelled by the fabulous Chloë Sevigny here). And this megatrend shows no signs of abating. You can't go wrong with the classic tan print, but you'd be equally wise to snap up grey snow leopard or even pink or blue versions in the sales. My top picks: Topshop bright leopard zip pocket vest, £30; Zara printed tunic, £39.99; KG by Kurt Geiger vixen leopard pony wedge shoe boots, £90 (reduced from £150).
5. Neon
Click here to see the stunning Kate Bosworth rocking yet another next season trend: neon. I've chosen this picture because I was amazed at how much I love this look, given that I am pretty much allergic to bright colours. But the combination of the amazing Proenza Schouler dress with Kate's effortless styling (strong black accessories + messy hair + bright pink lips) gets a thumbs up from me. Which is a good job because, thanks mainly to the Proenza Schouler boys and a certain Christopher Kane, neon is big news for S/S'11. Somehow us colour-phobes will have to overcome our fears and dive in at the brightly-coloured deep end. If in doubt, start with neon lips or nails, then move onto shoes and work up to bright but simple shift dresses. My top picks: Topshop silk zip back tunic dress, £25 (reduced from £50); Asos Portfolio perforated high ankle boot, £44 (reduced from £80); Oasis sports watch, £20.
6. Jumpsuits
70s is the decade to reference next season (much to my chagrin, I might add). Most of it is all too hippy or luridly patterned for my liking, but the Studio 54 end of things appeals to me much more, offering a certain old world glamour to your new season wardrobe. Case in point is the amazing lurex jumpsuit Kate Moss wore to the launch of her final collection for Topshop (see it here). Elegant, glamorous and nowhere near boho. So my advice, if you're planning on dipping your toe back in time, is to get your hands on a jumpsuit pronto. Luckily there are some beauties out there, as long as you know where to look. Just remember these should only be worn in the evening, so think silk, crepe, and strictly without pattern. My top picks: River Island black glitter palazzo jumpsuit, £20 (reduced from £40); Topshop limited edition jumpsuit, £80 (reduced from £175; Asos velvet twist bandeau jumpsuit, £24 (reduced from £48).
7. Midi lengths
And finally, don't throw away your below-the-knee skirts just yet. Not the easiest item to wear, granted, but get them right and they can look super sophisticated. Plus, they're not going anywhere anytime soon (especially the pleated versions), so you might as well get used to them. If you need some inspiration as to how to style yours, check out 12th December's "today i'd love to wear", or reference Alexa Chung's look here and team with edgy accessories. Just whatever you do, don't wear flats. My top picks: Topshop lurex pleated midi skirt, £25 (reduced from £45); Zara leather skirt with pockets, £150; New Look high waisted midi skirt, £10 (reduced from £24.99).
And if you'd like any more inspiration from the new season collections before you set out sale shopping, why not check out my S/S'11 show reports? Click here for Paris, here for New York and here for London. Enjoy!
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