Well it's that time of year again....it's sales time! Come to think of it, it's virtually sales time all year round. So purses at the ready gals for some top bargain hunting that'll be shoved into the back of the wardrobe by next week. Now i can't leave out you guys, more guys are now fashion conscious and are always looking for the best deals on designer gear, so guys get those wallets ready.

Well, to avoid you going down that familiar path of getting anything that looks good at the price, here are some very useful tips on how to bag the hottest buys you'll be wearing not just now but well into the next season and beyond.

Do not panic! for some of us as soon as we see the big sales posters in the windows, we rush in only to find racks and racks of discounted clothes stacked on top of one another, on the floor, or rows and rows of clothes hanging in no particular order. To top it off their are hordes of people pushing shoving just to grab anything in site only to throw it on the floor if it is not what they want. Our vision fuzzes over, and the heart beats faster, and we break out in an unseemly sweat and the only way out is to run away for restorative skinny latte. But returning home empty-handed is none the less rewarding but rather depressing.

So, to avoid this unnecessary drama it is important to develop a few tactics:

1. Do the research focus only on what you want to buy, i.e. choose the item before it went into the sale. It's useful to know the contents of your own wardrobe, e.g., How many pairs of jeans do you have? Do you really need another black cardigan or another pair of boots. Often we go shopping without realising that we end up buying the same items because they are familiar and comfortable to us.

2. Look out for heavily discounted designer accessories only, a classic belt or even a pair of sought after earings. A designer bag will complete a what would have been a boring and simple ensemble. It will create a chic hip look to whatever you choose to wear.

3. Buy what works for you. If your a polo neck person than look for good discounted polo neck eg. John Smedley. If a shirt and skinny jeans work for you than get that. Sales time is not a good time to change your look, do this before the sales do the research for your new look and if it works than you can hunt for those bargains.

4. Research never fails. Goto the smaller boutiques before the sales and talk to the assistants about the red hot items, mentally noting what you'll need to snap up in the battle field.

5. And finally, make use ot that gym membership that you've ignored for a year to gear up for the "big fight".....the SALES! Good Luck.