Credit crunch fashion

by Alex Webber aka Glitter Eyes

Rather like the recession of the 1930s, people are dancing cares away in speakeasies and dreaming up ways to make their thrifty style look va-va-voom. Care for the contents of your closet, and this period of economic wilt should see your style and purse blossom.

1 Don't impulse buy - Whenever you go out, try to avoid having eyes bigger than your wallet. That resplendent butterfly dress will date quickly, never be worn and cost you hard-earned money, even if it seems like a bargain at the time. Have a plan for what you want to buy when you go shopping. And if you buy a resplendent butterfly dress? So be it - but that should be the exception, not the norm.

2 Recycle clothes - Don't buy new clothes unless completely necessary, ascharity shops are great places for bargains and you've already got brilliant clothes in your wardrobe. Before you go shopping, look through your wardrobe. See what you actually own - you've probably forgotten about half of it. See if you can locate some new mix-and-match outfits out of the clobber already taking up space in your closet. Customize your clothes and buy cheap stuff from car-boot sales, church fairs and charity shops. Sell older clothes you don't want instead of throwing them away on eBay. But be a nice girl - only sell them if they are still of suitable quality to wear, wash, dry and repeat.

3 Stay ahead of trends - Don't go out to buy anything just because it's currently 'in. It'll soon be 'out' - replaced with something you'll also buy, because it fits the trend. This cycle will continue until you realise it's time to stop, and think about what your style actually is, what suits you, and what you want to wear. If you must trend up, stick to accessories, not clothes - it's cheaper in the long run. If you do go for trend clothes, think about the future - skinny jeans and pixie boots will love you forever, but why buy 15 green tops only to find that the next season's colour is purple?

4 Discount sales aren't your buddy - Don't get drawn into the lure of sales. You'll buy something ridiculous, just because you think you're getting a bargain. Your money is hard-earned, so don't waste it because of a price tag. Also, be aware that a big fat sign saying SALE doesn't always mean a big fat reduction. You could end up buying something you don't want, which doesn't suit you, which is only a pound or so cheaper than it was originally. Silly mook!

5 Buy smartly - If you do need to buy something, buy it sensibly. Go out and compare prices in different shops. You can also compare prices on store sites, eBay and Amazon online.

6 Freebies - If you get a chance to procure freebies (hand-me-downs and such) then take it. Those freebies will hopefully be of suitably quality or recyclable if you think you can get something out of them (like cool buttons or a pretty pattern). Any freebie you don't like can always be passed onto a grateful friend.

7 Get artsy - Now for the fun part. Decorate your clothes with all the old Christmas / birthday presents you thought you would never use. Find old accessories and nick-nacks and use them to add to a good outfit. Don't go over board as this can ruin your clothes.

8 Take good care of your clothes - You can't return clothes if the damage was your fault. Follow all the cleaning instructions religiously as walking astray from those instructions can damage your clothes and make them die earlier. Be careful when out and about. Running around like a mad-woman/man/thing and tearing your clothes on nails and such will mean that all your hard work will be undone.

9 Napkins - When eating, drinking or just on a night out, always use a napkin to protect your clothes as if you spill something over them it can really hurt them. You won't look daft if you convince everyone else to do it too.

10 Products - When getting ready for a night out on the tile, take care not to drop any make-up or product on your cloths. Droppages can make serious stains and badly damage your cloths when cleaning. Try not to get any sun-cream or anti-perspirant on clothes in summer as they can leave awful colour marks.

Lastly, it was said before, but it's worth saying again - be wise! Customise!

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