Breaking news: the economy is a hot mess.Our would-be presidents are catfighting about it. We can't sell our homes for baked beans. Everyone is really grumpy and, frankly, our hair is starting to look bad. Leaping off the Sears Tower would be more pleasant.There's another problem, and it's called being human. Sweaters! Jackets! Gorgeous leather boots! And darn, your favorite jeans have a stain on the butt from that time you sat in blueberry syrup at Cold Stone after "Nights in Rodanthe"!YOU NEED NEW CLOTHES.To help us find satisfactory moderation during tough times, we enlisted help. Alison Deyette is a fashion stylist who regularly dispenses advice on "Today," "The View," "Tyra" and TBS' Movie and a Makeover. And Clarky Davis, a/k/a the "Debt Diva," is a financial expert and TV regular. Together, they've been giving advice about fall shopping on TJ Maxx's Web site (tjmaxx.com). We snagged them for an interview.Q: Our finances are in the toilet. How can we justify shopping for new fall clothes?Clarky: As Americans, we're all in the same boat. Our buying power has definitely changed. What we're having to do is look at our overall budget and see what we're spending money on. The average woman is spending about $150 on updates for their wardrobe. Set a goal of how much you want to spend. You need to have cash. You should not put that $150 on your credit card.Alison: Before you even go shopping, it's about finding out what your needs are. It's a great cleansing experience to go through your closet. We all stand in front of our full closets of clothing and say we have nothing to wear. But if you took the time to actually spend one day pulling everything out, trying items on, going through and seeing what you should toss, what doesn't fit anymore, you'll find out what you need. It could be as simple as, "I need a crisp, white button-down shirt," or "I want to add some purple this season."Q: What if I'm totally dead broke, but OH MY GOSH, I REALLY WANT ANKLE BOOTS?Clarky: One great thing to do is to have a rummage sale at your apartment or house. You'll be amazed at how much money you can make just by cleaning out your house. And instead of buying those brand-name items, buy the grocery-store brand. They're exactly the same.Q: OK, so we've set boundaries. How can we get the most for our money?Alison: Before I head to the mall, I go to off-price retailers. I go to TJ Maxx, I go to Marshalls. They have the most phenomenal Italian leather handbags. For a woman that's wearing a suit at the office, you can find a fabulous suit, a great top and scarf, and you can wear it as separates. If you're going to buy a suit, make sure you can take the pants or jacket and wear it with a fabulous sweater and belt around the waist and some beaded jewelry.Q: Any tips for self-control in full-on shopping mode?Alison: Don't succumb to sale psychosis. We see something on sale and we say, "What an amazing markdown!" We get home and we're like, "What was I thinking?" I always say take a breath, walk around with it, go to the dressing room, always try things on, then decide. How does it work in my wardrobe? Is the color right? You might end up putting it back on the rack.Clarky: Ask yourself, "If I do put my credit card down on this item, can I pay it off in the next month?" Credit cards are not bad things. They're great financial tools if you use them properly. I try to use mine in case of emergency only, but as a shopper and someone who loves clothes, I know temptation happens. I'm not going to tell you that if it's the one perfect item you've looked for all your life not to get it.(Stephanie Hayes blogs about fashion and finds. Find more of her wickedly funny posts at blogs.tampabay.com/deals.)(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service www.scrippsnews.com)
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