Just because the economy has hit a rough patch doesn’t mean your wardrobe has to suffer. So maybe you have a smaller budget to work with – or none at all. Regardless of what you already have in your closet or what you can afford to pick up, we have compiled a list of the best fashion tips for tough economic times. From shopping tips to accessories, we’ve got what you need to tighten your belt in style. (In fact, we’ll even tell you which belt to wear.)

Fabric

Choose fabrics that can be worn year-round. Unless you’re teaching freshman composition at a Midwest university, tweed is not a year-round fabric. Don’t get us wrong – a nice tailored tweed jacket is a great item to have in your winter wardrobe, but if you’re going to spend money in these tough economic times, go for something more versatile. The same goes for light linens and gingham – if you’ve got the disposable income to have completely separate wardrobes for each season, then, by all means, stock up on gingham. But if you’re like the rest of us and require some clothes to pull double and even triple duty throughout the year, invest your money in a more versatile fabric like cotton.

Belt Up

We told you we’d tell you how to tighten your belt – and the answer is “over anything.” Go through your closest. Odds are you have more belts than you thought. Mix and match. Be creative. A bold belt can completely transform an otherwise run-of-the-mill outfit into something spectacular. Wide belts are making a come back, so if your collection goes back far enough, dust off some specimens that haven’t seen the light of day in a decade and invite them to help you make your entrance to your next party.

Accessories

Form jewelry to sunglasses, accessories can set the tone for your look and add that extra something to an old favorite. Large sunglasses are all the rage, so find some decent knock-offs and save yourself a couple of hundred dollars while looking like a million bucks. Look fro bold conversation piece jewelry to add class and sparkle to anything – including some lost gems from the back of your closet. And don’t forget a hat. With today’s retro-chic stylings, anything goes when it comes to hats.

Beware Of Sales

Sometimes sales can be great places to find terrific bargains, but they come loaded with pitfalls. No matter how cheap something is, no amount of savings can offset ugly. If it’s on sale for pennies on the dollar, take a moment to ask why. It might not be a value at all. In fact, depending on how hideous it actually is, it could still be priced to high. Another common mistake at a sale is to pick up a bargain with the idea that you’ll lose a few pounds or that the particular piece of clothing will stretch (or shrink for that matter). If it doesn’t look good on you, it doesn’t look good on you. Instead, find something that does – even at full price that would be the better buy.

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