Fashionably frugal

Having less cash for clothes doesn’t have to mean dressing like a frump

By HELAINE R. WILLIAMS

ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE  Tuesday, May  7, 2009

LITTLE ROCK — When money is tight, as it has been since the “great recession” began, nonessential expenses tend to fall by the wayside. As evidenced by the drooping sales figures and now-closed storefronts, clothing has been one of the main expenses considered to be nonessential.

Ironically, this is also a time in which being well-attired could be most important. If you are on the job-interview circuit, trying to jump-start a career interrupted by a layoff, you know this only too well. Even if you’re still drawing a steady paycheck, chances are that wage freezes, mandatory pay cuts or shrinking retirement funds have made you think twice about replacing worn-out items in your closet or dropping a few hundred dollars on a special-occasion outfit.

But, as our hardy elders found out during the Great Depression, necessity is the mother of invention. It need be no hardship to “dress for less.” Three style experts offer innovative ways to do just that.

KEVIN SANDERS

“I think the economy and where we’re going is all about making do with less and making more from it, and getting back to basics,” says celebrity stylist and Arkansas native Kevin Sanders, who has CNN’s Soledad O’Brien among his clients.

Well, basics with a little cleverness. Case in point: Sanders went online to find inexpensive pieces that imitated what he’d seen at the recent New York Fashion Week shows as well as the Oscars. Target.com and Walmart.com proved to be discount goldmines. Sanders cites pieces at the latter site, as low in price as $5 or $10, that “you could make look like a million.” Many of the items Sanders found are in the stores.

Sanders compares his finds to pieces he has seen in such lines as Nanette Lepore and Chanel.

It’s easy to take a work jacket you already have, and pair it with an inexpensive “shell dress” from Target or Wal-Mart, he says. So the dress isn’t made of the best fabric? Fine. Just buy two and double-layer them for a look that would cost much more somewhere else, Sanders suggests. He adds that the higher-end pieces you bought during better days can be updated with inexpensive dresses or white slacks that can easily be lined or double-layered. “And that’s only an $18 look.”

Other tips by Sanders:

When you do need to buy clothing in volume, go into a store and choose, say, 15 pieces. Add up the cost, then haggle the price down. “You can actually make an offer,” especially at consignment stores, vintage shops, thrift stores, flea markets and small boutiques, Sanders says. “You can get what you want if you just ask.”

Go with basic, neutral colors - “I cannot emphasize that enough,” Sanders says, suggesting beige, black and brown. Experiment with bright or unusual colors for church or special occasions.

Buy all-season pieces. “You can wear the same stuff you wear in the summer in the winter, if you layer it properly,” he says.

Take advantage of layaway plans. But don’t overspend by laying away too many items at a time.

Clean out your closet. Refurbish/reuse something you already have.

Use your sewing talents or get someone in your family to use theirs. “You can have a lot of jackets made for a lower price,” Sanders says.

Get groomed for less. Barber and beauty schools have always offered haircuts, manicures and other cosmetology services at reduced prices.

RITA HARVEY

Rita Harvey, Little Rock style maven and owner of the former Elle boutique, has what she calls “a survival mantra and tool” for “all job-seekers, job-changers and ambitious folks in search of a better tomorrow.” And that is? KISS, or “keep it simple, sweetie. The cleaner, classier and less complex your career style is, the faster you will move ahead.”Some KISS specifics:

Pay the most you are able to pay for wardrobe anchors, such as a black suit with pant, skirt and vest, if possible. Add a well-fitting white shirt, a tank or tee the same shade of white, a flattering colored shirt and a social-casual top, set, shirt or jacket. These “all make for solid citizens in the wardrobe wars,” Harvey says.

Solid pieces in black, white, tan, gray, brown and shades of blue will make you look “polished and great, but not violently memorable.” Accent colors are good, but be careful with prints. “They are ... hard to repeat in a wardrobe scheme without looking tired after the third time.”

Consult a good friend or fashion adviser to figure out your best belt width, pant style, skirt length and jacket length.

Don’t forget the fine details. Keep your shoes polished, nails clean, and do not overdo your makeup. “Don’t let your bag or your shoes make you look frumpy, heavy or ill-put-together,” Harvey says. “All these contribute to the perception of your abilities” when interviewing for a job.

If you need a special-occasion dress on short notice, try to borrow a dress or go to a fine resale shop for one. If you are receiving an award at the event, select a dress that is great in a mirror and in a photo.

“Lastly, to thine own self, and style, be true,” Harvey says. “Your internal trend, as long as it is not excessively sexy or slovenly, is the best day-to-day answer to dressing well and frugally.”

ARNESSA STATEN BENNETT

Maumelle image coach Arnessa Staten Bennett (Arnessa.com) has been teaching women how to dress on a budget since long before the recession that began in late 2007. Her “Diva on a Shoestring” course is about 15 years old.

But, as a newlywed minister’s wife, even Staten Bennett has found it a challenge to dress for the many events she attends with her husband. “I’m really having to be creative,” she says.

Knowing the places to shop helps to get those creative juices flowing. When teaching her course, “we’ve gone to stores like Cato, Burlington Coat Factory], T.J. Maxx ... because they’re always running sales,” she says. “And no matter [whether] you’re a size 6 or a size 26, most of the time these stores will have something for you.”

Staten Bennett suggests that women who want an upscale look for less get with their friends and fly or carpool to outlet malls in neighboring states. “A lot of women think, ‘I can’t afford Michael Kors,’” Staten Bennett says. “T.J. Maxx has Michael Kors. If you want to look high end, you can.”

Other tips:

“Save your money and shop off-season,” Staten Bennett says. “Right now they’re getting rid of some of the fall and winter clothing and you can get it for almost nothing. And ... when the fall comes back again you’re going to have some wonderful things.” Look especially for thinner-fabric items that can be worn year round, she says.

Shop different outlets of your favorite discount chain. The selections often vary from one store to another.

Buy a good, basic, two-piece outfit - for instance, a jersey knit black top with a coordinating black skirt - that can be toned down for casual gatherings, put with a jacket or sweater and topped off with a scarf during workdays and dressed up with pearls or rhinestones for evening events.

Mix and match. Staten Bennett went to Cato on one occasion and found jackets in various styles and colors. She got jackets in about five different colors. She mixes these jackets with various skirts, she says, and she goes through all the jackets before starting over. She has fooled people into thinking she has a lot of clothes.

Changes in scarves or jewelry, Staten Bennett adds, “will make your outfit look a lot different each time you go out.”

No matter how hard the times may have gotten, the experts say, giving up on looking your best is not an option.

“You’ve got to bounce back,” Sanders says. “You have to have a polished look to beat your competitors. You can’t come in looking frumpy.

”And you don’t have to.

This article was published Tuesday, April 7, 2009.

Style, Pages 31, 36 on 04/07/2009

If you want to know more about:

 "Diva on A Shoestring"TM

Call Arnessa at :

501-851-2001 to book 

your personal session.

Arnessa Staten-Bennett is now booking speaking, one on one sessions and workshop dates for 2009, she is traveling nationwide to motivate, inspire, and empower.

Are you planning your company's conference, seminar, or retreat?

Call 501-851-2001 to book Arnessa Staten-Bennett.