On a Budget

I need to have my clothes last as long as possible, because I'm an actress on a limited budget. I often go to auditions. Do you have any tips for me? Thanks!

There are many ways to help you stretch your fashion dollar and look good at the same time.

1) Stick with solids: Prints show their age faster than any other fabrics. If you can't resist a beautiful print, keep it to something small like a neck square that you can roll up and tie around your neck above the collar of a shirt. Sometimes, you can latch onto a print from a high fashion site, and the print will come into style and stay there (for a short while.) You can balance this with the cost of the item. Don't buy prints in the secondary market, because they are already on the way down.

2) Stick with classic colors: Which neutral is best for you? Blacks, browns or navys? Buy a few knit tops in these colors. A scoop neck sweater in a flat knit, in black, for example, will last longer than one in magenta, or green.

3) Stick with classic shapes: A properly cut navy or black blazer in a wool knit will go a longer way than a ruffled pink swing jacket.

4) Stick with menswear inspired looks. Menswear doesn't change as quickly as women's clothes. A khaki pencil, gray pinstripe trousers with cuffs, or a white shirt, will be around for longer than an embroidered full skirt. This works for outerwear, too. A trench is a great raincoat, and beats a fitted princess coat for longevity.

5) Stick with classic shoes: Don't go for trendy novelty shoes in unusual fabrics. Leather and suede are best.

So that you don't die of boredom, here's where you can use a small amount of splurge money: nail polish (hot colors); bold artistic jewelry in natural materials like wood, and unnatural ones like lucite; cute scarves in the latest colors (use and lose); stretch gloves in animal prints or other patterns (to go with your solid neutral coat) and patterned tights.

Don't go overboard shopping in any one season. Limit your purchases to what you can wear regularly, integrate the new things with your mainstay items, and dump the stuff at the back of your closet.

Break a l*g!