How to look your best for less
By Scarlett De Bease
I love what the recession is doing for fashion!
Okay, I realize that this must sound crazy, but it’s true.
It has always bothered me that so many of the fashion layouts in the magazines, or that the “must have” items costing hundreds (or even more) of dollars make it either impossible or ridiculous to buy the items that the designers or magazine editors are telling you are essential for you in which to look good or to be in style.
The fashion magazine editors have been making you feel, with clever marketing strategies, that unless you spend top dollar for the status symbol “it bag,” by a big name designer, you will then be out of style and step. Nonsense, rubbish, and yeah to the recession because now even Vogue magazine is finding great clothes and accessories at affordable retailers. Can you believe it, Vogue?
Vogue had a writer in the December ‘08 issue describe the “charms” of shopping in Target and Wal-Mart!! She was pleasantly surprised at the low priced yet fashionable home goods, clothes, and accessories that were available in the mass market. Who knew? Well I did, and have known so for years.
My long-standing philosophy that men and women do not have to spend a fortune to look and feel great is gaining some major momentum, attention, and some much-needed respect.
Have you seen the recent lead stories on the covers of the latest fashion magazines? In the March issue of O, The Oprah Magazine, there was a feature titled “Cheap Spring Fashion.” Cheap is in, and cheap makes looking good easy and fun for all. Cheap does not mean junk or poorly made clothes, it simply means that it is now acceptable and appropriate, without spending tons of money, to look good. Mass-market retailers such as J.C. Penney, Sears, Target, and, yes, even Wal-Mart, offer well-priced items that can update your current wardrobe without breaking the bank.
In the March 2009 Nordstrom catalog the focus is on adding one or two new, very reasonably priced pieces to totally change the way an existing outfit looks.
I have using this very same process with my clients for years. By reviewing what you already own, and finding different tops, pants, bags, shoes, or even a necklace, you can create a whole new look, and feel smart and stylish.
U.S. News & World Report’s March 2009 story titled “Thriving during the Great Recession: How to Save More, Spend Less, and Still Enjoy Life’s Luxuries” gives advice as to how to spend smarter. So please don’t think that you should not spend money on new clothes and accessories, but rather choose how to spend your money more wisely. Knowing what you really need, and where you can shop to get more for your money is the latest “must have” philosophy.
Well, I no longer feel like an island, isolated and alone, because now my shopping philosophy is in style and my secret is out. It is indeed possible, and easy on the wallet, to dress well every day and for every occasion. The powers that be in the fashion world are now ready to admit and deal with it. I love how the recession is taking the pressure off of men and women in terms of in which stores to shop, and how much to spend, making it is easier than ever to get great fashion at affordable prices. The retailers as well as the fashion editors have signed on to this money-saving trend, and now we all have more to choose from and more to gain.
Don’t use this recession as an excuse to not look good, but instead use it as a reason to look better than ever, and for less money than before.
About The Author
Scarlett De Bease is a Makeup Artist, Image Consultant, and a member of the Association of Image Consultants International. Scarlett specializes in showing women how to save time and money by giving them the skills and confidence to look and feel beautiful every day. www.scarlettnewyork.com
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