Shopping post-christmas means you can focus on yourself, says Harriet Elton

How she shops: For me the sales are a time to give in to the pieces I’ve been lusting over all season and can now, finally, afford (thank you Christmas cheques). I find it easier to shop in the break between Christmas and new year, when the stresses of post-work shopping for gifts are gone.

What she’ll be buying: Kurt Geiger may be better known for shoes but their bag department ought not be missed. This huge tote is a perfectly chic “bag for life” and its usefulness justifies the indulgence of a fluffy velvet bag (which I’ve just bought) and for me, that’s what the sales are all about. In January I’ll be off to the Alps to ski and this is the best time to grab winter buys at bargain prices. Coats can be insanely expensive, so at £60 the millennial pink puffer jacket from Urban Outfitters will brighten up the colder mornings, and I’ve got my eye on the perfect timeless jumper to wear with salopettes on the slopes for only £26.