"Springing" for some new clothes

With Spring just around the corner, no doubt, you're going to want to spring (get it? Spring? Okay, maybe it's not that clever...HA HA) for some new clothes. But rathar than heading out to the stores where you'll be tempted by all of the new and shiny items, and risking some serious debt because you "have to have it all"...let me offer you a tip for budget friendly shopping. It's called a Wardrobe Audit. Now, of course it's best to hire a professional (like myself) to help you with this, but if that is too much to invest right now, you can do your own version.

1) Set aside a few hours to give your wardrobe a quick once over and grab a pen and paper
2) Grab some of your favorite pieces (items that fit well, and are still in good condition)
3) Put together outfits using those items
4) While putting the outfits together, makes notes of what you need to complete each outfit and add it to your "shopping list"
For example, maybe you have a few cute tops in a multitude of colours, and some fun shoes to match them all, but need some bottoms. So, make a note to get some skirts and pants in neutral colours that will go with all of those tops and shoes...making a variety of outfits. Or maybe you have a bunch of dresses, but no shoes to go with them. Try to find a common colour theme in those dresses or go with a neutral to match them all. I'll use myself as an example...

I have a solid royal blue dress, a solid soft purple dress, and a multi coloured (purple, blue, yellow) geometric print dress. So, because I have a Creative Personality Style, I plan on looking for a pair of yellow heels to go with all of them. But for someone not as flashy, they could go with a metallic shoe.

5) Lastly, if you want to add some "fashion forward" to your look...think accessories

When it comes to trends, the least expensive way to follow them is with accessories. For example, "Future Warrior" is a big trend for Spring 2010 (see post below), so maybe look for a fun belt or shoes to pair with your new outfits.

Happy Spring Shopping!