The first few weeks of a New Year are the perfect time to remember the parts of your wardrobe that often fall by the wayside. Set aside time to think about the items below and add them to your shopping list if they need replacing or updating. The list pertains both to ladies and gents so have a squizz at your significant other’s wardrobe after you’ve gone through yours.

• Slippers or house shoes are an essential part of your wardrobe if you don’t like to wear shoes at home. Walking around in socks is fine, but if your feet hurt after a day of stomping around on hard wooden floors, then a super pair of slippers is the solution.
• Loungewear that looks and feels great is a must because lounging with style is important, and I can’t stress this point enough.
• Workout wear that’s flattering, comfortable and practical makes exercising a joy. Make sure that you work out in pukka workout wear because old sweats and T’s won’t do.
• Socks need to work with your wardrobe and be free of holes. Make sure that you have the right assortment of colours and thicknesses to suit your needs.
• Underwear is often neglected and it’s where your style quotient starts. Check that bras, undies, camisoles and boxer shorts are in good condition and in the right size and silhouette.
• Make-up drawers get overloaded with lipsticks, mascaras, eyeliners and shadows that are either dated or expired. Get rid of the junk and keep your make-up drawer clean and minimalist.

Closet editing was a popular New Year’s resolution so we’ll recap how to proceed with this process effectively in a few blog entries.

End-of-season sales are here for those of us that live in the US or some parts of Asia. In Europe the sales start in the first week of January. If shopping the sales is on your calendar in the near future, remember to and to shop with a strategy and to be sale savvy. The most important things to remember:

• Get to the sales as soon as possible because sizes run out quickly.
• Don’t allow yourself to be seduced by anything that does not absolutely work for you!
• Head out early in the day to avoid the chaos.

You might even like to bring along a printout of “this season’s must haves” for easy reference.

“Vanity sizing” is a term for the industry’s practice of inflating the dimensions associated with a particular size tag over time. What was considered an American size 8 a decade ago will pass for a size 4 today. Size inflation becomes more extreme the further back in time we go. Marilyn Monroe’s voluptuous size 12 body would probably fit into the equivalent of what we know as a size 6 today.

How this phenomenon started is anyone’s guess. It is thought that vanity sizing is “designed to satisfy the buyer’s wish to appear thin“. This boosts self esteem and thereby ensures the sale of a garment. Designers and manufacturers were quick to realize that there was money to be made by satisfying perceived insecurities.

The increasing dimensions of garments have subsequently caused retailers to introduce additional size designations at the low end of their size ranges (0, 00, or subzero sizes). This is hilarious! Next thing you know, a healthy size 8 will be wearing  a size 0 and a tiny size 0 will be in a size marked “negative 8″.  At the end of the day, there is no getting away from the fact that we live in a fashion world in which smaller clothing sizes are an obsession.

If you’d like to learn more about vanity sizing, Wikipedia is a good place to find related articles. What are your thoughts on downsizing size tags as a way of fooling us into a false sense of security?

Absolutely. Finding a fab pair of jeans can be challenging, so when you come across a pair that you love because they’re comfortable and fit well; it’s worth every penny. You will feel glorious in them and will wear them constantly, thereby whittling down the cost-per-wear to nothing.

I have an assortment of denim price points in my wardrobe (from $49 to $170). And while all my jeans fit well, my $170 AG “Angels” are definitely a cut above the rest. I’ve had them for years and they’ve retained their colour and shape a lot better than my cheaper versions. They also don’t seem to grow after I’ve worn them for a couple of days. My Abercrombie & Fitch jeans ($89) faded badly after a few months, while my Arden B denims ($118) look brand new after having them for a year.

I’m not brand conscious but enjoy good quality and expensive jeans generally seem to look newer for longer. Enjoy a pricier pair of jeans if that’s what works best for your body type. You are worth it.

If you are up for it, head straight to the Macy’s dress department this weekend. They’re having a crazy sale and many of their frocks are between 25% and 75% off. I know that this particular department store can be overwhelming, but if you focus on getting yourself to the dress floor (and the dress floor only), you might manage.

Look for brands like Maggy London, Donna Ricco, the Max, Shelli Segal, London Times, Westonwear, Jones NY, Donna Morgan and Max & Cleo. Generally, I’ve found Macy’s to have the best selection of affordable dresses for every age and body type. It’s a dress season ladies and bargains are bountiful. I had a spot of luck there myself yesterday.

End-of-season sales are here. It’s your last chance to make savvy Summer wardrobe choices before Autumn collections hit stores. Over the years, I’ve made my fair share of fashion blunders by purchasing poorly during sale time. But I’ve learnt from my mistakes, and from my experience as a buyer and stylist. Here are some guidelines to help you shop effectively:

1. Shop with a plan. Make a list of what you need and then shop the sales to find them.
2. Spend more money on shoes and handbags. Accessories pack a lot of punch. They can make a $60 outfit look designer.
3. Black can be better. Items made of cheap fabrications often look better in darker colours (like black and brown) as opposed to brights like fuchsia, purple and apple green.
4. Don’t buy expensive trendy pieces. Go cheap on items that are fashion fads. They’ll start falling apart after a season, in time for you to update with what’s next.
5. Beware of outlet shopping. Their prices aren’t always cheaper than sale prices at department stores. Also, outlets carry last season’s merchandise (with the exception of The Rack). Don’t update your wardrobe with dated items.
6. Keep expectations low at thrift stores. Secondhand stores can be fashion goldmines if you’re patient. You’ll usually have the best luck when you least expect it, so go in with a low expectation. 
7. Shop as often as possible. Perusing stores without actually buying anything will educate you on what’s available. Most mainstream merchandise is marked down after 8 weeks. That way you can anticipate sales and score.
8. Don’t be seduced by low prices. A low price does not necessarily equal a good buy. Refrain from buying anything unless you love it and it matches what you have in your wardrobe. You need to be even more discerning when you shop the sales because return policies are stickier and inventory is more scarce. 
9. Consider full-price items. If you buy cheap items that you never wear, then all you did was waste your money. If you love an item because it makes you feel fabulous but it wasn’t on sale, buy it. It’ll end up becoming a bargain because you wore it constantly and the cost-per-wear will whittle down to nothing.
10. Never shop when you’re hungry or tired. You’ll end up loosing focus and making bad decisions.

Everybody loves a bargain, but don’t feel that you need to get everything on sale. You’re worth full price.

Spring 2007 promised us an explosion of bright colours. While we’ve seen smatterings of yellow, cobalt, coral and green clothing, there’s still a fortune of black, white, brown and beige around. A substantial part of the colour for Spring in American retail stores is represented by accessories rather than clothing.

As a lover of bright colours, I’ve felt a dash disappointed. After two back-to-back strong Black & White seasons (Spring and Winter 2006), my clients and I have been champing at the bit for anything that’s not a neutral. US retailers J. Crew and Macy’s have been colour leaders this season along with Spanish stores Zara and Mango; but I still feel that Spring could have been more colourful.

I spoke to a few major chain stores about my disappointment. Their feedback was unanimous: American retailers have often “overdone” bright clothing in the past and reams of rainbow coloured items have found themselves on markdown rails as the result of poor sales. So fashion buyers are cautious this time around. Still, the likes of Ann Taylor, The Loft,  Nordstrom, The Gap, Banana Republic, The Limited and Express reassured me that brights like red, turquoise, yellow, blue, green and pink would surface in May.

Part of my shopping faith was restored at Express yesterday as rails of brightly coloured walk shorts, blousy tops and camisoles were being unpacked.  Hold on to your fashion dollars for a week or two if it’s colours that you’re after. Brights are on the way in May.

There are timeless and of-the-moment items that are always good investments. You’ll be able to adapt the following items stylishly into your wardrobe regardless of your age, body type and fashion persona.

• tailored single-breasted knee length woolen coat
• trench coat
• structured black jacket
• crisp white collared shirt
• a little black dress
• a pair of perfectly fitting dark jeans 
• animal printed accessories (shoes, bags and scarves)
• a pair of black pumps or sling-backs 
• ballet flats 
• flat thong sandals 
• a classic designer handbag

The best wardrobes are built over time, so don’t feel rushed to acquire these items if don’t already have them. Make your selections carefully and you’ll enjoy them for a very long time.

Ballet flats by Giuseppe Zanotti (Zappos.com) and animal printed clutch by Alfani (Macy’s).

Most retailers went on sale the day after Christmas. With Autumn and Winter collections reduced by at least 50%, this can be a good opportunity to buy what you missed during the season. However, do not be seduced by fads at bargain prices that only have a couple of months of fashion life left in them. I like to shop for items that I can fashionably wear into Spring or next winter.

High ROI (return on investment) purchases you should consider:

• Tailored coat in a basic colour
• Tailored black jacket
• White collared shirts, romantic ruffle blouses, voluminous blouses and tunics
• Cigarette pants
• Black or black pinstripe suits
• Cocktail wear – especially little black dresses
• Ballet flats and wedge shoes
• Evening clutch bag
• Animal printed and metallic accessories

Low ROI purchases you should leave behind:

• Bubble skirts
• Leggings
• Tartan and hounds tooth jackets/coats

Think twice about:

• Red items – while red will not feature as a fashion colour for Spring 2007, it’s still an excellent basic colour to have in your wardrobe. Red is like black, white, cream, grey and tan. This is completely your call. 
• Black items – while black will always be fashionable to wear, it is not a fashion colour for Spring. Don’t duplicate black items in your closet just because they’re on sale – beware the black rut. 

Remember to shop with a plan and to leave the items that do not absolutely work for you behind. Have fun finding great bargains!

It’s important for the largest part of your wardrobe and seasonal fashion budget to reflect the dominant seasons where you live.

Examples from the three corners of the USA: 

• Hot Florida – Spring/Summer collections will dominate
• Cool Seattle – Autumn/Winter collections will dominate
• Extreme New York – you’ll spread your budget equally over both collections since it can get as hot as it can cold.

This year I made the mistake of going overboard on the great sleeveless styles that were so popular in the summer collections. Living in cool Seattle, I ended up wearing them once or twice before they were banished to the back of my wardrobe. And if you live in a predominantly warm climate – an assortment of coats is futile despite how much you love to wear them.

Of course, if you are a frequent traveler this will also affect your budget allocation. Do a quick assessment of your wardrobe – does it reflect your climatic demands? Are you allocating your budget effectively?