THE WINTER SEASON IS WELL ON ITS WAY, A TIME FOR FABULOUS SCARVES, JACKETS, BOOTS AND GLOVES. NOW IS A GOOD TIME TO DO A STOCKTAKE OF YOUR WINTER WARDROBE. IT IS ALSO A GREAT TIME TO THINK ABOUT YOUR WARDROBE BUDGET. HOW MUCH OF IT HAVE YOU ALREADY SPENT ON YOUR WARDROBE OR DO YOU NOT EVEN HAVE ONE?

Have you stopped to think about how much money you have already spent on your wardrobe this year? What about over the last five years or over your lifetime? Let's assume that your wardrobe budget is $2000 for this year. This budget will allow you to buy approximately 4 tops at $50 each (2 for summer and 2 for winter), 1 pair of pants at $180, 2 shirts at $120 each, 1 jacket or coat at $400, 2 pairs of shoes at $200 each, 1 handbag at $160, 1 dress at $150, leaving you $270 to spend on jewelry and underwear. If you wanted to buy a suit or sunglasses for example, then you would have to re think some of these purchases and decide which of the above you will sacrifice to keep within the $2000 budget. As you can see, it is very easy to spend $2000 on clothing in a year.

If we assume that the average age we start buying our own clothes is 20 and that the average age we no longer need to buy as many clothes to update our wardrobe is 80, then this means we have 60 years of clothes buying to do. Take the assumed $2000 budget and times this amount by the 60 years. Over these 60 years you will have spent $120,000 on clothes and accessories. If we assume that the wardrobe budget is $5000 per year then your total is $300,000. This is a lot of money to spend on your wardrobe and an enormous amount of money to waste if you are buying clothes that you don't wear. Think of all the clothes in your wardrobe that still have the price tag on them. It is a bit scary when you start to calculate the amount of money you spend on your wardrobe each year and this doesn't even include makeup, hair cuts or colour!

Be smart with your money. Now more than ever it is important to spend wisely. Invest in foundation pieces that you will get plenty of wear out of, that suit your body shape, are the right colours for you and that you love. Clothes that are the right style and colour for you are easy to mix and match with each other and you always wear the clothes that you love. Not only will you save time each morning when you are rushing to get dressed (you already know that your clothes work for you) but you don't actually need a large wardrobe to create different outfits. Mix and match with different pants, tops, skirts and accessories. By creating a functional wardrobe you also create a functional lifestyle.

Anna Martin is the co-founder of Izziana Image Consultants and is a great believer that personal image is an important part of increasing people's confidence, self-esteem and wellbeing. Izziana Image specializes in assisting individuals to enhance their personal image and confidence through their clothing, makeup and accessories. For further information contact Izziana Image on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit www.izzianaimage.com.au