The workwear classics to snap up in the sales

Q. Is it worth looking for workwear in the sales – or will it look out of date?

A. My bank balance has taken a serious hit through researching this column. I particularly love the summer sales as everyone is far too busy looking for their next beach dress to think about workwear – except me.

Look for classic styles that don’t follow any passing trend and focus on shapes that suit and fit you well. Take advantage of the discount and invest in brands that might usually be out of your budget, remembering the cost-per-wear argument.

Whistles leather tote, was ￡225 now ￡139,  John Lewis; Leather courts, was ￡79.95 now ￡49.95, Massimo Dutti ; A.P.C. trench coat, was ￡525 now ￡315, Matches Fashion; Prince of Wales blazer, was ￡595 now ￡360, Joseph

Tailoring is a great thing to buy during the sale season and my first port of call is Joseph; I bought a blazer there at a satisfying 40 per cent discount five years ago and it still looks brand new. This is a good time of year to find a trench coat, which I find is an autumn and spring necessity. Weekend Max Mara always has a wide selection and I love APC’s trench with contrast piping. When buying trousers, look for the best quality fabric you can afford so they keep their shape.

Accessories are high on my sales shopping list: I rarely buy them at full price. Look for court shoes or flats that you know you can wear all year round. Black and navy rarely get discounted but you can find a classic style in a pop of colour. It might seem crazy to look at boots at this time of year, but by autumn they’ll all be full price again, so try to beat the system. Follow the same rules with handbags and look for unfussy, trans-seasonal styles; a holdall in a great quality finish like Whistles’ blue mock croc will be a fantastic addition to any commute.

The best designer pieces to buy in the summer sales

Shop online so that you can try everything on in a relaxed fashion and work out what does and doesn’t work with your existing work wardrobe. This will hopefully avoid any stressful decision making in hot, overcrowded changing rooms, which inevitably leads to panic buys: I am still looking for an occasion to wear the bright orange wool shirt dress I bought two years ago.

Isabel Spearman is a brand and image consultant who previously worked as special adviser to Samantha Cameron at Downing Street. Each week , she offers a helping hand dissecting workwear dress codes and offering a modern take on power dressing.

To ask Isabel Spearman your workwear questions, email [email protected] or follow her on Instagram @isabelspearman.