One of the ways the economy is affecting me is that I haven't been able to do much clothes shopping lately. Yet, fashion is an important part of my life and clothes make me feel good. So, over the years I've developed ways to feed my fashion fix in good times and bad. Here are four ways to make your wardrobe recession proof: *Make the old new *Find a wardrobe that's "you" *Maintain your size *Accessorize Make the old new The pictures in this post demonstrate two recession-proof tips. One is make the old new, the other is accessorize. I bought a this two-piece tank and blouse set years ago but I never liked the tank. I love to embellish my clothes and give them a little bit of pizazz. So, I cut up the tank top and took a few of the flowers off. I then sewed these cut-outs onto my blouse and embellished them with beads. Most of the beads in this picture come from a pair of earrings I got free at Warehouse 1333 during some kind of art show. The earrings were too heavy for my ears so I cut them up and used them on this blouse instead. Maintain Your Weight I don't have to tell you, buying a whole new wardrobe just because you put on 20 lbs will cut a hole in your budget. If you've been dieting, you've probably lost and gained the same 20 lbs over and over again. I got off the diet rollercoaster years ago and now I wear the same size year after year. Because of that, I can easily follow recession proof tip #2: Find a wardrobe that's you. (To find out more about how I maintain the same size year after year with ease, go to donateyourweight.com). Find a wardrobe that's "you" Finding a wardrobe that's "you" will save a ton of money in the long run. It will also make it easier to get dressed everyday. Pink has become my signature color. (And even though I wore pink before there was a Pink Magazine, I like the way they describe the power of pink on their website if you want to check it out). Pretty much every item in my closet is pink, has pink in it or is in the "pink family" (red, maroon, purple, peach, salmon, watermelon, etc.) I also have classic pieces like black pants, black skirts, white dress-shirts and jeans. Since all of my clothes are in the same color scheme, I can literally walk in my closet blindfolded and choose an outfit that matches. In fact, a bonus recession-proof tip is to find a brand new combination of your old clothes. If you always wear your pink sweater with the black pants, try putting a white blouse underneath it or a hot pink scarf over it, etc. Accessorize I'll close the article with the fourth and final tip: accessorize. You will be surprised how far your wardrobe will go with some accessories like belts, bracelets, necklaces, broaches and scarves. You can turn a pair of jeans and a t-shirt into a fashion statement just by putting on a scarf or a hat. People will say "I don't have time to dress nice like you" and you'll get a smirk on your face because all you did was wrap a scarf around your neck and throw on a hat! Underneath it all you've got on some comfy jeans and a t-shirt. How hard is that?