A look of luxe for less

THERE'S fashion gold in them there sales, if you just take the trouble and time to seek it out.

Not just the glowing metallic colour (although that too), but those classic one-off fabulous bargains, in luxurious classic materials, the likes of which don't come along every day, or even every season.

As you can see from the items featured here, there are some massive reductions about on the High Street and online, with lots of quality merchandise reduced to half price and below, so that retailers can shift them off the shelves to make room for those new spring lines, in which they have already invested heavily.

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As is traditional following the festive season, the sales racks and tables are groaning with plenty of items that shine and glisten, and usually it would be wise to steer clear, on the basis that all that glisters does not usually translate at all well into spring, looking garish, tacky and shouting "so last season" more comprehensively than almost any other fashion theme.

Yet this is not the case this year as there is evidence of lots of shine carrying through into spring and summer, although you do have to select and employ with judicious care. Shine and glow for the coming season is subtle and classy, with silky soft and rich metallics glowing softly, bringing depth and texture to an outfit, rather than full-on glare. There are silk pleated dresses in burnished gold and cream, soft silver, taupe and ice pink, so if you see anything similar, don't hesitate to pounce upon it.

Look out too for burnished metallic belts and scarves, as these bring one of the best ways to add that gentle flash of metallic without compromising clean lines and a fresh colour palette. There's lots of lovely layered cream and white looks coming for spring, layered through with gold and silver (eg. a gold top peeping from beneath a white jacket), so look out for silk loose tops that can work this trend.

Embellishment too is continuing into the spring and summer, with lots of lovely embroidered bead and sparkly detail and floral motifs, so seek out little cashmere cardigans with beading to shoulder, bodice and hem, or look our for little beaded corsages and brooches.

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All luxury knitwear is worth snapping up, what with it being so gorgeously useful, especially trans-season, both indoors and out, and anything fine enough to fling a belt around is ideal, to wear over floral tunic or dress. Faux fur is used as a trim, particularly in black, as are feathers as a trim, and suede and leather fringes and tassels. Gilets can be used trans-seasonally and then put away until next autumn/winter, as I refuse to believe they won't be everywhere yet again.

Please note all items are subject to sales conditions.

ONLINE FASHION FOR THE 50-PLUS

flying the fashion flag for the mature style hunter, the UK's largest home shopping stable, Shop Direct Group, has just launched isme.com, to offer the key seasonal trends in styles and fits that flatter 50-plus women. Created by working closely with a panel of target customers, the first range is modelled by actress Lynda Bellingham, who says: "Women just want clothes that fit them and isme is the solution."

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