Fashion is an investment. Naturally, right now everyone is buckling down their wallet, not looking for a shiny new belt to clinch around the waist. And yet, everybody still wants to look cute.

One of the oldest fashion mag staples is a Look for Less feature, which displays a celebrity fitted in a normal enough looking ensemble that just so happens to cost thousands of dollars. They then offer alternative items, with varying cut, color and details, at a discount price. From myStyle.com to inStyle, there are even budget bag tips on about.com for crying out loud.

If there's one thing I know about my female companions, they don't settle for a cheap purse. Rather than trying to get everything at a discount, it's better to toggle between high and low end price points.

Cheap heels can kill, but there are some exceptions. Overall a good pair of shoes are usually worth the money. Even most look for less features display shoes around $100. Payless, it ain't.

And yet. Trust, I have found some good shizz at Payless. True story. Boots and casuals, even some sneaks. A wise fashionista sniffs out low prices at the highest quality available.

Know where you have wiggle room. Tees, tanks, shorts, pants, vests and basic coats at Old Navy and Forever 21 are economical and still fashionable.

Even in a crunch to scale back spending, we can allow ourselves little splurges and thereby stimulate the economy. See how that all works out? Yes we can - shop!

Wes Ferguson is a lifestyle expert and entertainment writer living out the Young Hollywood dream in beautiful Westside Los Angeles.

SHARE: