On the last weekend of November every year, UK retailers offer their biggest discounts in an effort to boost sales just before Christmas. It can be tempting to end up purchasing things you hadn’t planned on buying previously given the irresistible deals, so my rule is to do your research and know exactly what you want before hunting for the best discounts during the sales.

I’ve been lusting after a Coach handbag for a while now, and whilst the Tabby style which I had originally wanted wasn’t included in any of the discounts during Black Friday, I did stumble across another style in their new season collection which I’m even more obsessed with.

After scanning the internet for discount codes on different luxury buying platforms, I discovered that the website 24 Stories based in Paris, was offering the best deal with a generous 30% discount on the Coach Mira Shoulder Bag In Signature Canvas. This was better than the Coach website itself which was only doing 20% off, so I ended up saving £118 and getting the bag for just £285 from 24 Stories.

As a new season bag and best seller in the Coach line, the Mira Bag is now back to full price retailing at £395, so I was super chuffed with my fabulous find. I couldn’t wait to style her with a head to toe tonal outfit to match the rich brown and red hues of the autumnal leaves; she even matches my hot chocolate brown Mini Cooper!

I love how versatile this design is with the longer strap to wear it across body for a more casual look, or the short chain shoulder strap to style it with an evening outfit. The quality is stunning, it’s got a lot of room inside for a shoulder bag, and the classic design means this bag will never go out of fashion, it’s timeless ❤

The only other order I placed during Black Friday was on ASOS. As you can see, there’s a clear theme in the colours here as I am leaning towards those earthy, neutral tones which I am enjoying styling particularly during this fall season.

I bagged myself a dark brown Cotton On tie front cardi top, a khaki long sleeved backless top by Bershka, this stunning teracotta knot front asymmetric swimsuit by a London brand called Catch, and finally a smokey blue Miss Selfridge sporty style playsuit unitard. ASOS was offering 30% off site wide, so these were all a great saving too.

On reflection, Black Friday can be a trap to spending money which we should be saving for Christmas. However if you do your research and find a deal on items you were going to purchase anyway, or you know there’s some Christmas presents for loved ones you could make a saving on, then that’s smart shopping I believe 🙂