There’s a running joke in my family that my dad has never paid full-price for anything. His haggling is legendary and he can smell a sale a mile away. I think I inherited a little of my bargain-hunting ability from him, along with my height.

Today I’m giving you a run down of all the items I bought on Black Friday – most of which are now in the winter sales. This year I shopped Dorothy Perkins (Tall), Coast and H&M. Here’s what I got (and what I sent back):

First up: Dorothy Perkins Tall.

These trousers looked super comfy but they were enormous on me. I bought a UK 12 so they would fit my hips but it felt like I was wearing a size 14/16. If you’re in the 6 foot and up club they might work better on you, but the waist was super high and the leg length was more suited to a 36-38″ length really. They also had a ribbed texture, which was comfy but not as loose and flowy as I had envisaged. (Available in Tall only).

However, this black top with sheer overlay is a winner. The length was spot on, it fit true to size and it’s a total bargain!

This pleated skirt was also a real winner. It looks shiny/satin-like online but is a jersey material in reality. Similarly the picture online shows an asymmetric hemline, but it’s definitely A-line. Feels super-festive and elegant to wear though so no complaints from me! Fits true to size.

Finally, the most chic and cheap winter coat. Double breasted with a snuggly faux-fur collar this coat is just perfect. I could also imagine Cameron Diaz wearing something like it in The Holiday – so it gets extra glam points for that.

All in all (and despite my personal feelings about their CEO) I’ll be sad to see this brand go now that the parent Arcadia Group is in administration – the DP tall line has some real gems.

Next up: Coast

I’m always a bit disappointed that Coast is less size-inclusive than other high-street brands, but you can’t argue with the quality of their garments for the price. I tried just two items and sadly neither was a perfect fit but they both had some major plus-points.

This body-con dress is a Size M and almost fit my body shape perfectly – albeit that the arms were a tad short and gathered at the elbows. I also took issue with the belt which was much too large and sat very high (even for a person of average height). It’s available in 3 colours with limited availability.

I was gutted that this lace detail top was so small on me. The intricacy and detail of the design made it feel really special (for a high street item). Available in two colours.

Finally, I went a bit overboard with H&M while they had 20 percent off the site over Black Friday. Using their size guide I ordered most items in Medium and they were much too large. Everything in a UK10 fit perfectly but if you’re picking a generic size, go one lower!

This black top with twist-back detail felt thick and warm but as you can see – was much too big for me. As was the v-neck/back cream jumper (no longer available online) which was also too short on the body & sleeves for me.

I’ve always been a bit wary of dresses like this Belted Dress as I’m quite broad shouldered and feel this sort of neckline can have the unfortunate effect of accentuating that… but I got over that pretty quickly as the fit and design of this dress were just lovely. I wish my work didn’t have a strict navy-and-white dress code for officewear as this would be the perfect pretty dress for the office. I’m wearing a size 10 and it fits true to size.

I’m rounding off this try-on with another pretty dress. Sadly too large but I would go back for the next size down as this was a really unique take on the shirt-dress. With concealed buttons, pleat detail and a pretty print, it’s really rather lovely. Size down.