I'm a Stylist—Here's Everything I Would Actually Buy in the High-Street Sales

Black Friday has become a full blown month-long affair, and with sales being thrown at you from all angles since the beginning of November, I wouldn't blame you for tiring or feeling overwhelmed by all the offers. It can be really hard to know where to start (which, for me, often ends up in a lot of panic and not shopping anything at all). There's no denying, though, that now is a great opportunity to make some pretty huge savings, especially on buys you were planning on investing in anyway—whether that's wardrobe updates, Christmas gifts or even pieces for around the house.

So, we're here to help decode Black Friday for you. I've rounded up the best clothing deals across the board here, the best coats on offer (just in time for next week's cold snap), some crowd-pleasing gifts you can find on sale, and we've scrolled through hundreds of the best beauty deals for you, too. But today is about focusing on what the great British high street has to offer, to help you cut through the noise and focus in on the best high-street deals with a calm head and a cool, considered approach.

When Is Black Friday 2024?

This year, Black Friday falls on Friday 29 November, and you can expect deals across the whole weekend and into Cyber Monday, which falls on Monday 2 December. Our editors have been busy compiling the best of the Black Friday savings, whether it be clothing deals or beauty tools deals.

As always at Who What Wear, we're only here to talk about the crème de la crème. I'm a stylist and editor who has seen it all after a decade working in the industry, so you could say I have pretty high standards. That doesn't mean I don't shop on the high street, though. You'll know from my weekly column that I just tend to focus on those expensive-looking pieces, the ones that still have a premium feel with a more affordable price tag. Not only does this approach mean a more polished-looking wardrobe, but it also guides me towards more classic, timeless pieces that have staying power.

Yes, shopping high-street discounts may seem a little contradictory to this responsible theory, but if you shop wisely, the Black Friday sales are actually the perfect time to invest in these kinds of pieces. Often discounts are across everything, rather than just on a specific end-of-season edit that's discounted for a reason; and they also mean you can bag more premium-quality items on the high street for much less. Think COS cashmere, wool coats from Massimo Dutti and Mango's real leather boots.

After browsing the best high-street sales so far, I can confirm there are plenty of these elevated styles available with some pretty unbelievable markdowns. Below, I've rounded up the best of the best and linked out the pieces I'm actually considering buying myself. So you can save time and think of this as your one-stop sales shop. With only a few days (and in some cases only hours) left to take advantage of them, scroll on to see the most expensive-looking sale buys you can find on the high street right now.

The Best High Street Black Friday Sales

• Mango has up to 50% off over 1000 items.
• COS has 25% off its elevated staples.
• H&M is offering 20% off everything for members (it's free to sign up)
• Whistles is offering 20% off everything, and 25% off on orders over £250.
• Nobody's Child has 20% off its versatile dresses using the code BF20.
• Abercrombie & Fitch has 25% off everything this weekend.
• Anthropologie has 40% off sale items and 25% off everything else!
• John Lewis has 20% off selected womenswear and huge savings on beauty and home.

1. MANGO

We've long turned to Mango for expensive-looking styles, and now there's up to 50% off over 1000 items. Find amazing coats, that the brand has excelled at this year, cosy knits with timeless appeal and a selection of accessory to buy now and treasure forever.

Shop the Mango sale:

2. COS

We have a real thing for COS's elevated tailoring and capsule staples. There's 25% off its elevated staples right now. Scroll on for the pieces on my list...

Shop the COS sale:

3. H&M

We often find that our expensive-looking high street finds can be attributed to the brand H&M. With consistent best-sellers like the Wide Twill Trousers alongside fresh in gems like the Shopper tote, there's plenty to explore this Black Friday. This weekend, H&M is offering up to is offering 20% off everything for members (and it's free to sign up).

Shop the H&M sale:

4. WHISTLES

Whistles is another of my favourite premium high street brands for top-quality pieces. It is usually on the pricier side though, so Black Friday is the perfect time to invest in its elevated wardrobe staples for less, especially the leather items which I really rate (I've worn this jacket on repeat for the last year and it's still buttery soft and looks brand new). There's 20% off everything, and 25% off on orders over £250.

Shop the Whistles sale:

5. NOBODY'S CHILD

When it comes to versatile dresses that you can wear to everything from the school run to your next wedding, I (and the rest of the Who What Wear team) often turn to Nobody's Child. They're known for their great dresses, but this year I've also been impressed by their expansion into coats, knitwear and denim—all with a sustainably-minded approach. There's currently 20% off everything with the code BF20.

Shop the Nobody's Child sale:

6. ABERCROMBIE & FITCH

There's 25% off everything on Abercrombie & Fitch's website for its best sale of the year, including brand new winter arrivals and, of course, the TikTok famous Curve Love trousers that Karina is wearing here.

Shop the Abercrombie & Fitch sale:

7. ANTHROPOLOGIE

Anthropologie does great homeware, and I usually end up buying a lot of my Christmas gifts there too. I've also become a real fan of its fashion offering recently, brought to my attention by some of the brand's viral hits like the designer-looking woven bags and teardrop earrings loved by TikTokers everywhere (yes, I just bought both). There's 25% off everything on site this Black Friday, as well as an extra 40%(!) off sale items—and the deal includes its beautiful furniture. Don't skip over this one.

Shop the Anthropologie sale:

8. JOHN LEWIS

John Lewis is a well-loved staple of the great British high street, and with good reason. I don't know about you but I always find myself heading there for the best beauty buys, homeware and gifts (there's something for everyone, I swear). They also, of course, stock so many fashion brands, but its their revamped own brand label that has caught my eye this season—especially the tailoring and accessories which are such good quality. For Black Friday, there are a ton of deals across the board (you could sort your entire Christmas list in one go, I swear), including 20% off selected womenswear and a huge (and very rare) £80 of the Dyson Airwrap.

Shop the John Lewis sale:

This story was published at an earlier time and has since been updated.