But snap up that wrap-around chiffon dress (£959 to £671) quickly.Inquiries: 020-7235 234920 The Cross141 Portland Road, London, W11 4LRStarts: 4 January, 12pmBest deals: Up to 70 per cent off labels such as Missoni and Gharani Strok; key sale items include Ann Louise Roswald coats from £530 to £265.Inquiries: 020-7727 676021 Browns23-27 South Molton Street, London W1K 5RDStarts: Tomorrow, 10amBest deals: Up to 40 per cent off Jil Sander, Marc Jacobs, Dries van Noten, Chlo?Stella McCartney, Balenciaga and Marni at this legendary fashion emporium.Inquiries: 020-7514 000022 Matches60-64 Ledbury Road London W11 and Matches 85 (the younger store), 85 Ledbury Road, London W11Starts: Tomorrow, 10amBest deals: Men’s and women’s designer clothes reduced by 30 per cent. Boo sandals which were £495 reduced to £346.50.Inquiries: 020-7493 585817 Manolo Blahnik49-51 Old Church Street, London SW3 5BSStarts: 7 January, 10amBest deals: Reductions start at 45 per cent off, with further mark-downs on previous seasons’ collections.Inquiries: 020-7352 862218 Patrick Cox129 Sloane Street, London SW1 9ATStarts: 28 December, 10amBest deals: Half-price bargains include satin pleated courts, £200 to £100.Inquiries: 020-7730 8886Designer19 Alberta Ferretti205-206 Sloane Street, London SW1X 9QXStarts: 29 December, 10amBest deals: 30 per cent off at the start of the sale with clothes reduced by 50 per cent later. Women’s shirts have up to 40 per cent off, from £65 to £39.Inquiries: 020-7498 388214 Paul SmithStarts: 30 December, 10.30amBest deals: Men’s suits down from £410 to £290, most items 30 per cent off, or 50 per cent with mailed sale card.Inquiries: 020-7379 7133Shoes15 Emma HopeStarts: 8 January, 10amBest deals: Beautiful shoes with exquisite details, such as velvet embroidered mules reduced from £299 to £179.Inquiries: 020-7259 956616 Jimmy ChooStarts: Tomorrow, 10amBest deals: Discounts of 30 per cent or more. Women’s items down 50 per cent include the sexy black Lara dress reduced to £47.50.Inquiries: 020-7225 490013 Thomas Pink Starts: Tomorrow, 10am (today in Selfridges)Best deals: Men’s shirts 30 per cent off from £79 to £55. Arrive early and prepare to do battle.Inquiries: 0800-731 828411 ZaraStarts: Today in selected stores, 10am; tomorrow elsewhereBest deals: Most things.Inquiries: 020-7851 430012 Reiss Starts: Today in selected stores, times vary; tomorrow, 10am elsewhereBest deals: Men’s chunky knits reduced by 40 per cent, such as the Dylan handknit from £110 to £66. Nursery accessories reduced by 50 per cent and prams by a third. a Gucci velvet tuxedo jacket reduced from £1,160 to £580.Inquiries: 020-7235 50005 Liberty210-220 Regent Street, London W1B 5AHStarts: Tomorrow, 10amBest deals: Special order Amalfi range sofas reduced by 50 per cent from £2,800 to £1,400.

Some Liberty print items reduced; Missoni for women and Lanvin half price.Inquiries: 020-7734 12346 Fenwick Starts: Tomorrow (all stores), 10am Bond Street; other stores varyBest deals: Paul & Joe bags reduced by 50 per cent and Missoni, Pucci and Cacharel scarves down by 30 per cent.Inquiries: 020-7629 91617 John Lewis Starts: Tomorrow all stores, 9.30am Oxford Street; other stores varyBest deals: Ex-display and end-of-range appliances, sofas, cancelled orders. Samsonite and Mulberry luggage from 30 per cent off.Inquiries: 0870-837 73774 Harvey NicholsStarts: Today, 10am Edinburgh; tomorrow, 9am Manchester, 10am London, Leeds, BirminghamBest deals: Designer clothes reduced by 50 per cent, e.g. Women’s YSL, Gucci, Burberry and Ballantyne reduced by up to 75 per cent; men’s suits – Hugo Boss and Paul Smith – reduced by 30 per cent. Food bargains too.Inquiries: 0870-732 12343 Selfridges Starts: Today, 11.30am London and Manchester Trafford; 11am Manchester Exchange Square and BirminghamBest deals: 50 per cent off designer clothes including Burberry and Stella McCartney.

Beauty brands Philosophy, Temple Spa and SK-II at 50 per cent off. They face being taken to the Financial Ombudsman by investors seeking compensation.It is understood that some of the four pleaded poverty, saying they could not afford to pay the amount demanded under the proposed settlement. This raises the prospect of them being forced out of business by the claims made against them. In that case, any compensation would have to be paid through the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, which gets its money from a levy on City firms.In addition, eight individuals refused to sign up and they will now face disciplinary action from the FSA.One participant said: “This reflects well on [FSA chief executive] John Tiner It shows he can be pragmatic when he needs to be.”.

Stricken support services group Jarvis has staved off collapse after selling its stake in the Tube Lines consortium in a £150m deal. The other third is held by America’s Bechtel.Amey is owned by Spanish construction group Ferrovial and is paying £95.5m. It will assume liabilities of £51.3m.The deal has enabled Jarvis, which earlier this month warned that it faced imminent collapse, to agree a year’s extension to its banking facilities, to March 2006, with lenders led by Royal Bank of Scotland and Barclays. Chief executive Alan Lovell said it had “really got rid of the pressure”.The group is also close to signing a deal that will allow it to complete its troubled Private Finance Initiative construction contracts but remove the bulk of the risk They will then be sold on.