Women's Style Network A Yaktivate.com Podcast Network Channel Community

We're all trying to stretch our dollars these days so why not get some great tips on how to do so when it comes to our wardrobe?  How to be stylish without breaking the bank?  Here are 4 of my favorite books that are loaded with great tips and advice (check out our discussion area "From The Budget Babe" for some great online sites - click here).

How to Be a Budget Fashionista, by Kathryn Finney
[Find it on Amazon.com]
Good news: You don't have to sacrifice style just to pay your electric bill. Kathryn Finney, a.k.a. ..

Lauren Solomon, image consultant and author of the book, Image Matters! has some great tips for economizing on your clothing budget, while at the same time putting together some fabulous looks.  Lauren also sponsors the podcast, Fashion Bytes on www.WomensStyleNetwork.com from time to time.  We love her expertise and thought these tips were especially helpful!

When budgets are tight, and even when they're not, it's a good idea to shop your closet before you bring in new pieces that may not serve you better than those you already have.
 
Step #1 - Take out your most favorite items, ..

The most versatile fashion accessory you can have, bar none, is the scarf- and if you’re fashion savvy, you probably have several. Scarves, depending on their size and shape, can be used for a belt or sash, a sarong-type skirt, a halter top, worn around the neck in place of a necklace and, of course, a head covering. Think babushka all the way to the elegant head coverings made classic by both Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn. Any and all uses can provide a fashion statement but the trendy, new look is the scarf that loops around your neck or drapes ..

It may seem like everything is on sale at the major retail stores all the time, but really that’s not the case. The retailers still know that seasonal sales can be money makers for them when promoted and executed properly. Therefore, the wise shopper will do well to anticipate the annual seasonal sales and plan their purchases accordingly. The following seasonal sale calendar will help you to take advantage of the buying and selling cycle.

January Everyone knows about the after-Christmas sales on boxed cards, candies and decorations. This is also a good time to look for clearances on popular Christmas ..

Swimming has been around since man first discovered that getting in a body of water was fun, a way to bathe, or an answer as to how to cross the water. There are even drawings inside a cave near what is now Libya, that date from about 7000 B.C. that depict men swimming. Swim suits, however, have not been around nearly as long. Originally people wore whatever they happened to have on- loin cloth, britches and shirt, togas- or what they did not have on; in other words, they swam nude. Public bathes were important and although some were taken in ..