Fashion

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.

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.

Our finances are in the toilet. How can we justify shopping for new fall clothes?

Clarky: 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. 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.”

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.

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.

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.