It’s sale time, not actually the best of times but nevertheless it is the right moment to buy specific items.
I think one should never go around the shops during this time without having made a list at home. The list should only have:
1 basic
2 classic
3 well made clothes/accessories
For instance: a white shirt, which should be something:
1 you don’t have and you NEED ( the definition of need I agree is very personal. ..)
2 you have something to wear it with ( not perhaps just one item though.. )
3 you wouldn’t normally be able to afford (don’t buy for the “name” only!!!)

By now it is perhaps a bit late to find anything half decent in the shops but, I have noticed there’s still a lot available on-line. The problem with buying on-line though is that you can’t actually try things on and they often look slightly different from the way they actually are.
You might want to consider going to your favourite shops before the sales start and try things on, go home, see which items match your other clothes/are definitely missing in your wardrobe/etc.
then.. comes the first day of the sales you can just walk in and pick up what you have decided to buy. Otherwise, having decided what sizes fit you and what you like/need, you can order it on-line.

here is a possible list:
1 cashmere jumper in navy/grey/black etc. ( certainly not the one with the reindeer on it!!!!)
2 coats and jackets (simple, excellent fabric, cut and colour must be very good quality)
3 jeans (never enough…, navy, dark navy, black, grey…)
4 handbag (anything, as long as good quality but you could possibly throw in one cheap but cheerful small clutch)
5 accessories (lots!, all colours, here too one or two cheap ones are ok)
6 shirts/blouses ( think summer as well)
7 shoes/boots etc. ( be very careful, some of them go out of fashion soooo quickly, if this year they are pointy, the next they will be square!!!!! Well, I don’t actually know but if you stick to classic you can’t go wrong can you?!)

Whatever you do, DON’T buy anything you wouldn’t pay full price for!!!

Good luck.
E.