A GORGEOUS GIFT FOR YOU – COATS UP TO £200 OFF

Snap up these record discounts now before the weather turns

TAKING a stroll on London’s Oxford Street yesterday, I couldn’t help but notice the festive shop windows were twinkling with something other than Christmas decorations.

Giant, garish banners were strung along every single one — from Gap and Whistles to John Lewis and Selfridges — proclaiming huge discounts within.

Yes, the sales are here and according to retail analysts, they’re the best ever. The reason? The unseasonably warm weather has left shops with a glut of stock — particularly winter woollies and coats — meaning they’re frantically slashing their prices, with up to 70 per cent off. Certainly, shoppers are taking advantage of both the mild weather (I saw one brave soul striding down the street in flipflops) and the fantastic bargains to buy the last of their gifts.

But had they diverted their gaze from their shopping lists — and thought about themselves for a minute — they’d have found a treasure trove of sumptuous, timeless coats being sold for a song.

And while I saw the odd shopper wistfully run her hand down the sleeve of a gorgeous camel coat in M&S (30 per cent off) or try on a well- cut peacoat in Hobbs (50 per cent off), not one woman I saw bought herself one. What a waste!

Yes, it’s too warm right now for a heavy woollen coat, but the weather is set to turn by mid-January, at which point those same women will think back to that moment and curse themselves.

Retail consultant Nick Ede explains: ‘Winter coats are seen as a luxury item, so they would normally sell for high prices. This year we haven’t had a cold spell to make people go out and buy them, leaving retailers with a lot of stock to move.’

A great coat is the foundation of a winter outfit, making a woman feel cosy, collected and, just as importantly, fashionable.

So take a moment out of festive shopping for everyone else and treat yourself to a coat you’ll treasure for years to come — and at a bargain price . . .